Our Services

CRISPR/Cas9 Services

CRI’s mouse genome engineering facility offers CRISPR/Cas9 services for production of mutant mice by pronuclear injection. We use the Easi-Crispr method as described in the Nature Protocols 2017 publication, “Easi-CRISPR for creating knock-in and conditional knockout mouse models using long ssDNA donors.”

This technology allows the production of genetically modified mice in as little as three to four months. A number of mutations can be introduced, including point mutations, LoxP sites, reporter genes, protein tags, and deletions.

When guides (sgRNA) and ssDNA sequences have been designed, please send the design to us so we can review and order the final reagents through SynthegoIDT, or Genewiz at our discounted rate.

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Embryonic Stem (ES) Cell Gene Targeting Services

Targeting embryonic stem cells can produce knockout mice, conditional knockout mice, and knock-in mice.

Targeting Vector Design
We recommend consulting with the facility’s staff prior to beginning construction of the targeting vector and positive control plasmid.

ES Cell Targeting and Screening
The client must demonstrate the ability to detect the targeted locus by PCR and Southern hybridization prior to project initiation.

ES Cell Microinjection
The facility will inject up to three different clonal mouse embryonic stem cell lines into host embryos and transfer them into pseudopregnant females to produce chimeric animals.

Initial Breeding of Chimeras
When the ES cells are implanted into host embryos, some may contribute to the germline. A chimera with a high proportion of ES cell-derived fur has a high probability of transmitting the targeted gene to its offspring. So, if your animal space is limited, we recommend mating only males above 40 percent and females above 80 percent chimerism to wild-type (B6) animals.

Transgenic Mouse Services

We offer a full range of pronuclear injection services for the production of transgenic mice. We routinely perform transgenic mouse production in C57BL/6. Other strains are available upon request.

Submission of DNA
For transgenes less than 20 kb in size, the facility creates transgenic mice from DNA the client provides. For an optimum number of founders, the transgene plasmid should be purified using an endotoxin-free system. The plasmid backbone should be cut from the transgene DNA with restriction enzymes in such a way that the transgene DNA is easily separated from the plasmid backbone by agarose gel electrophoresis. The client should supply the facility with 20 µg of the digested DNA.

Pronuclear Microinjection
All clients are required to complete and submit a request through PPMS before initiating the project. Once the project is accepted by the facility, please arrange to drop off your DNA or other materials to Xiuli Liu in NL12.110C.

The facility will inject the transgene DNA into the pronuclei of embryos and implant them into pseudopregnant recipient females. Pups are typically born three weeks after the injections. We will transfer mice to the client 10 days post birth.

Our pronuclear microinjection service includes injecting up to 500 embryos or the production of three founders, whichever is achieved first. Clients are responsible for genotyping founder mice. Different founder lines may display distinct expression levels; some founders may not transmit the transgene to their offspring, and some lines may not express the transgene at all. The production of three founders gives a reasonable chance to obtain at least one good transgenic line. The facility makes no guarantees with respect to founder production, germline transmission, or gene expression in the founders and their offspring. A deleterious transgene may result in an inability to obtain founders or to obtain germline transmission or expression in the offspring. If no transgenic animals are obtained after injecting 500 embryos, the client will be billed for the service, and we advise a consultation with the facility’s scientific director before attempting additional microinjection projects with that transgene.

Colony Management Services

The mouse genome engineering facility offers a variety of cost-effective colony management solutions that provide clients with flexibility in the management of their rodent colonies.
 
Our colony management services include:
  • Breeding
  • Cryorecovery
  • Sperm cryopreservation – We will freeze a minimum of ten and a maximum of 25 straws of sperm for each line. You will need to supply three to five males that have undergone previous mating and that are between 10 weeks and six months of age. All frozen sperm is tested by IVF to assure competency after thaw (competency = a fertilization rate of greater than or equal to 20%).
  • Rederivation – We will mate homozygotes to obtain embryos for homozygous lines or mate homozygous or heterozygous males to wild-type females for lines that may be rederived as heterozygotes. All pups will be transferred to you for genotyping. Please note it is in your interest to genotype mice prior to giving them to the facility for rederivation. It is not unusual for us to receive mice with incorrect genotypes.
  • In vitro fertilization – We will use fresh or previously frozen sperm to fertilize oocytes from up to 10 superovulated females. Embryos surviving to the two-cell stage will be implanted into pseudopregnant females for gestation or frozen to be implanted later. All surviving pups will be transferred to the contracting investigator.

Pricing

Services Internal External Commercial
Breeding $1,400.00 $2,800.00 $4,200.00
Cage management $1.75 $3.50 $5.25
CrRNA (guide) $130.00 $260.00 $390.00
Cryo-recovery $2,000.00 $4,000.00 $6,000.00
Designing - Flox and large insertions $1,500.00 $3,000.00 $4,500.00
Designing - Point Mutation and Knock-Out $1,000.00 $2,000.00 $3,000.00
ES Cell gene targeting $2,000.00 $4,000.00 $6,000.00
Genotyping $1,500.00 $3,000.00 $4,500.00
IVF $2,500.00 $5,000.00 $7,500.00
Knock-in - megamer conditional or plasmid $5,000.00 $10,000.00 $15,000.00
Knock-out Knock-in oligo $4,000.00 $8,000.00 $12,000.00
Primer $10.00 $20.00 $30.00
Rederivation $1,400.00 $2,800.00 $4,200.00
Sequencing + Sequencing Analysis $1,500.00 $3,000.00 $4,500.00
Sequencing Analysis $1,000.00 $2,000.00 $3,000.00
Special Mouse Background Request $50.00 $100.00 $150.00
Sperm cryopreservation - no testing $1,000.00 $2,000.00 $3,000.00
Sperm cryopreservation $1,500.00 $3,000.00 $4,500.00
ssDNA $0.90 $1.80 $2.70
Random Transgenesis $5,000.00 $10,000.00 $15,000.00
Yearly storage - sperm freeze $300.00 $600.00 $900.00
Shipping $55.00 $110.00 $165.00