The Transgenic and Gene Targeting Mouse Core is available to make transgenic mice using pronuclear injection of DNA constructs including BAC DNA into embryos. The Core is able to generate gene-targeted mice using CRISPR technology to directly inject reagents into early embryos resulting in quick production of targeted mice. We also use traditional knockout or conditional constructs electroporated into embryonic stem (ES) cells followed by blastocyst injection of targeted ES cells to obtain germline chimeric mice eventually leading to the production of gene-targeted mice. The Transgenic and Gene Targeting Mouse Core offers related procedures including cryopreservation and storage of mouse sperm and mouse embryos, rederivation of mouse lines from frozen embryos, in vitro fertilization (IVF) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) to rederive frozen sperm, development of primary ES cell lines from targeted mouse lines, and karyotyping of ES clones.
The Core is available for technical advice regarding injection procedures, cell culture techniques, vector design and construction, as well as analysis of ES cell clones and mice. The Core is amenable to new ideas and available to try new methods that researchers are interested in. The Core maintains the necessary mouse colonies for basic procedures, including a large colony of C57Bl6 mice, albino C57Bl6 mice, C57Bl6 x CBA F1 mice. We also maintain a small colony of ROSA-flp mice in the C57Bl6 background, and CMV-cre deleter mice. The Core maintains 129 ES cells, 129/C57Bl6 hybrid ES cells, and C57Bl6 ES cells (N and J) for gene-targeting. Equipment includes three full microinjection stations and dissection microscopes with fluorescence imaging capabilities, Femtojet injectors, Peizo drills an XYClone laser, pipette pullers, microforges, and IVF incubator, and a rate controlled embryo freezer.
The Core has successfully provided genetically altered mice to many University of Utah researchers as well as to researchers throughout the world. The Core has rederived mouse lines for researchers using frozen sperm and frozen embryos shipped from around the world.
