Transgenic Mouse Facility

The Transgenic Mouse Facility in the Division of Animal Resources offers mutant mouse model production services to investigators for their research projects. Services in the facility include transgenic mouse production by pronuclear microinjection and knockout and knockin mouse production using both CRISPR gene editing and traditional mouse ES cell gene targeting, mouse line cryopreservation, and rederivation.

Download a Service Request Form

Services

DNA Microinjection

CRISPR-mediated gene-edited mice are created by injecting/electroporating CRISPR reagents into mouse zygotes. Transgenic founder mice are generated by injecting a transgene into mouse zygotes. Injected mouse zygotes will be implanted into foster females to carry them to term. Offspring will be transferred to the investigator’s protocol for genotyping.

Pricing
  • Campus price: $6,513
  • Off-campus price: $8,590

Note: Additional charges include embryo donor and recipient purchases for each project.

Request DNA Microinjection

To request this service, investigators should:

  • Schedule an appointment with TMF Director Fuming Pan (fpan@illinois.edu) to discuss the targeting strategy.
  • Have the DNA construct approval from the IBC.
  • Submit a Service Request Form.

Note: Investigators should provide at least 200ug linearized DNA at 0.5ug/ul or higher to the facility.

Gene Targeting

A targeting vector will be introduced into ES cells via electroporation. ES cells will then be grown in appropriate selection media. Around 200 ES cell clones will be picked up, duplicated, and given to the investigator for analysis. Positive ES clones will then be expanded, frozen, and kept in the facility for subsequent blastocyst injection to generate chimeric mice.

Pricing
  • Campus price: $8,200
  • Off-campus price: $10,816

Note: Additional charges include embryo donor and recipient purchase for each object.

Request Gene Targeting

To request this service, investigators should:

  • Schedule an appointment with TMF Director Fuming Pan (fpan@illinois.edu) to discuss the targeting strategy.
  • Have the DNA construct approval from the IBC.
  • Submit a Service Request Form.

ES Cell Microinjection

Chimeric mice can be generated by microinjection of targeted ES cells into 3.5-day old mouse embryos. The facility will perform the microinjection and transfer injected blastocysts into foster families. Chimeric mice will be transferred to an investigator’s protocol after weaning. Since mouse ES cells are pluripotent and can contribute to all cells in an animal, including gametes, genetic alterations introduced into the ES cells can be propagated in the next generation to form a stable mutant mouse line.

Pricing
  • Campus price: $6,675
  • Off-campus price: $8,804

Note: Additional charges include embryo donor and recipient purchases for each project.

Request ES Cell Microinjection

To request this service, investigators should:

  • Have their project approval from both IBC and IACUC.
  • Arrange an appointment with TMF Director Fuming Pan (fpan@illinois.edu) to initiate ES cell microinjection.
  • Submit a Service Request Form.

Note: If the investigator already has ES cell clones, please provide the facility with ES cells and specified protocols. The facility will provide at least two chimeric mice per knockout construct.

Cryopreservation

Mouse embryo or sperm can be cryopreserved to prevent accidental loss of a valuable mouse line or to discontinue the maintenance of a mouse colony. About 200 embryos per mouse line will be cryopreserved. Usually, two males are required for sperm cryopreservation for each mouse line. In vitro quality control is included for both embryo and sperm freezing.

Pricing
  • Campus price: $2,238 ($1,119 for sperm freezing without in vitro quality control)
  • Off-campus price: Not applicable
Request Cryopreservation

To request this service, investigators should:

Note: The investigator will need to have space to store the cryovials once the project is finished.

Rederivation

The Transgenic Mouse Facility will perform experiments to clean a mouse line from pathogen infections. The procedure will include superovulating, mating, and collecting fertilized one-cell embryos. The investigator is responsible for the mouse purchase. Females are super-ovulated and bred to males of the line to be rederived. Embryos are collected and pooled, washed to further reduce the risk of pathogen transfer, and then surgically transferred, using aseptic technique, into the reproductive tract of pseudopregnant SPF females. Upon weaning of the pups, DAR will submit surrogate dams for diagnostic testing, including screens for bacterial and viral pathogens.

Pricing
  • Campus price: $2,275
  • Off-campus price: Not applicable

Note: Additional chargers include embryo and recipient purchases for each project.

Request Rederivation

To request this service, investigators should:

  • Schedule an appointment with TMF Director Fuming Pan (fpan@illinois.edu) to discuss the rederivation project.
  • Provide three to four proven breeder males and three to four females, both aged three to four weeks, for each line to be rederived.
  • Submit a Service Request Form.

Note: Investigators are responsible for the per diem from a quarantine room and any related tests.

Mouse Line Recovery

A mouse line can be reconstituted from fresh or frozen embryos through the technique of embryo transfer. It also can be performed with fresh or frozen sperms through in vitro fertilization.

Pricing
  • Campus price: $2,550
  • Off-campus price: Not applicable

Note: Additional chargers include embryo donor and recipient purchases for each project.

Request Mouse Line Recovery

To request this service, investigators should:

Note: The investigator is responsible for per diem from the date of the embryo transfer.

Miscellaneous Services

The Transgenic Mouse Facility staff can train or assist individual mouse users in aspects of mouse colony breeding, such as weaning pups, extracting tail DNA, setting up timed mating, dissecting mouse embryos, and handling mouse ES cell cultures. These services are contingent upon the availability of time, equipment, animal health, and other factors.

Pricing
  • Campus price: $40/hr
  • Off-campus price: Not applicable

Note: Additional chargers include embryo donor and recipient purchases for each project.

Request a Miscellaneous Service

To request this service, investigators should:

Contact Information

Fuming Pan, Director
15A Morrill Hall
M/C 119
fpan@illinois.edu
217-244-0649