How did the Center for Zoonomics come to exist?

In 2015, Dr. Eric Baitchman of Zoo New England observed a series of cases of dilated cardiomyopathy in young, related meerkats. Dr. Baitchman discussed the cases with other members of the AZA community, finding that cardiomyopathy was highly prevalent in meerkats. This spurred Dr. Baitchman to begin investigating, in collaboration with colleagues at the Broad Institute of MIT & Harvard and Harvard University, the genetic predictors of heart disease in meerkats.

The team soon began to study an additional species prone to heart disease, gorillas. It quickly became clear that a united endeavor was much needed to bridge the gap between the zoo and human health genetics communities to effectively study the factors that predict and contribute to animal diseases more broadly.

Recognizing the potential benefits of genetics research across all species in managed care, Zoo New England organized a three-day planning workshop in 2021 to develop a vision for a genomics center. The workshop was hosted at the Broad Institute, and included representatives from the zoo, medical, veterinary, and academic research communities. Participants outlined the zoo community’s broader needs with regards to genetics, species conservation, and animal health, resulting in a white paper outlining a roadmap for establishing a new center. The Center for Zoonomics was formally established in 2021.

The Center for Zoonomics serves as a national resource and catalyst for animal health genomics.

Unfortunately, the Center for Zoonomics does not have the capacity to provide genetics laboratory services. If you need help finding a lab to provide you genetics services, please do not hesitate to contact the AZA Molecular Scientific Advisory Group Chair, Andrea Putnam, at asputnam@gmail.com