Researchers use a diverse array of aquatic organisms—such as fish, amphibians, and invertebrates—to explore various biological questions.

Gregor Mendel’s work in the 19th century laid the foundation for our current understanding of heritability—the ways in which phenotypes (i.e., an individual’s observable traits) are...

Mr. Corbin Schuster’s interest in biomedical research began with a 10-week internship at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases in Bethesda, Maryland. According to Mr.

More than 30 years after the adult nervous system and cell lineage of the roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans were first mapped,¹ that map of neuron connectivity (i.e., the connectome) still enables scientists to better understand diverse neurobiological mechanisms. Today, C. elegans remains a widely used model for neuroscience research because of its short life cycle, transparent body, and homology to human genes expressed in neurodevelopment.

ORIP aims to provide investigators with the resources and infrastructure they need to improve human health, including by supporting the development of animal models of human disease. The current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in humans, caused by the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) strain, has compelled scientists around the world to work remarkably fast to develop vaccines and therapeutics using animal models.

At the Oregon National Primate Research Center (ONPRC), a group of monkeys climb and swing across their large outdoor enclosure. At first glance, the small, fur-covered primates appear to bear little resemblance to their human handlers. Their DNA, however, tells a different story. The rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) shares about 93 percent of its genome with humans.¹ For this reason, researchers study the rhesus macaque to understand primate evolution, comparative physiology, and the genetic basis of human diseases as well as addressing numerous scientific questions.

A convergence of scientific breakthroughs in chemistry, optics, and engineering in the early 1800s resulted in a miraculous new way to understand life—the light microscope. Microscopic studies of a wide range of samples by Johannes Müller and his protégés Matthias Schlieden, Theodor Schwann, and Rudolf Virchow resulted in a scientific epiphany and one of the most profound and useful revelations in history: Cells are the building blocks of all living organisms.

Growing up, Dr. Raquel Salinas did not believe that someone like her could turn a passion for science into a career. It was the classes she encountered at the LBJ Science Academy, a magnet high school in Austin, Texas, that ultimately led her to a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from the University of Texas at Austin. She then obtained a Master of Science in Biochemistry from Texas State University, and a Ph.D. in Pharmacology from Duke University. Dr.

Immunodeficient animals play an important role in biomedical research by allowing the examination of engrafted human cells under in vivo conditions, without risk of rejection. Researchers use these animals to study basic biology, model human diseases, and develop new therapies. Many fields have benefitted from this type of research, including stem cell biology, regenerative medicine, transplantation, infectious diseases, immunology, and cancer.