Transgenic Mouse Facility

The Transgenic Mouse Facility (TMF) facilitates the use of genetically modi­fied mice in biological and biomedical research. An important goal of the TMF is to identify new technology and methodology that is likely to benefi­t UC Irvine investigators using the mouse in their research programs and to import and provide such technology to UC Irvine investigators. The TMF makes investigators aware of new and existing developments via the TMF website, in seminars and lectures, via the UC Irvine MouseUsers email list and by word of mouth.

Our primary goal is to offer cutting-edge services at the lowest cost while producing yields and outcomes that are as good as or better than similar facilities at other academic institutions. Our established track record documents our ability to help develop in vivo mammalian models of cancer with successful outcomes and to provide strains of mice that are critical to understanding the molecular basis of cancer. In a typical year we provide services to 30-40 different clients, on and off campus. Some services involve multi-year collaborations; (e.g., long-term breeding projects). Specialized equipment includes microinjection workstations, electrophoresis and Southern blotting equipment for high-throughput screening of embryonic stem cell clones, a controlled-rate freezer for cryopreservation of preimplantation stage embryos, and an IVF incubator. We have a proven track record in the manipulation of preimplantation stage embryos to produce genetically modifi­ed mice. During the past year we have introduced an exciting new service: inducible and reversible gene knockdown.

SERVICES PROVIDED

• Facilitate awareness of valuable resources for cancer research involving genetically modifi­ed mice via links on the TMF website (e.g. NCI Cancer Genome Anatomy Project (CGAP), Mouse Tumor Biology Database, NCI Mouse Models of Human Cancers Consortium (MMHCC)
• Technical advice for strategies to develop new strains of genetically modifi­ed mice (e.g. design of mutant alleles; design of genotyping assays, sourcing and acquisition of DNA vectors, ES cell lines and mouse strains)
• DNA puri­fication and pronuclear injection to produce random-integration transgenic mice
• ES cell culture to produce and characterize gene-targeted clones
• Southern analysis of mouse genomic DNA, including probe design and testing
• Mouse ES cell chromosome-counting service
• Targeted Transgenesis (insertion of transgenes into ROSA26 locus)
• Blastocyst injection of ES cells to produce chimeric mice
• Breeding, including crossing with mice expressing CRE or FLP in germline for removal of drug-selection DNA cassettes
• Developing new lines of ES cells using 2i (MAPK- and GSK3-inhibitor) method
• Rederivation by embryo transfer to eliminate pathogens
• Cryopreservation of mouse embryos and sperm
• In-vitro fertilization and embryo transfer to reanimate mouse strains and import new strains
• Molecular genotyping (including development of new assays)
• Presenting seminars, training sessions, and lectures in courses at UC Irvine