Transgenic Mouse Facility - a Mouse Genome Engineering Facility (MGEF)

The UC Irvine Transgenic Mouse Facility (TMF) is a core facility that provides services on a recharge basis for making, breeding, genotyping, importing, and preserving genetically-modified mice and embryonic stem cells. In addition to academic clients at UCI, we also service academic investigators at several other sister UC-campuses and numerous other universities throughout the USA as well as providing these services to commercial clients.

Got a question? Email the TMF - we're here to help!

"CRISPR" Cas9/gRNA genome editing services

In certain cases CRISPR Cas9/gRNA mediated gene editing can accelerate projects to modify the mouse genome. As of July 2018, the TMF has successfully conducted 54 independent projects to modify the mouse genome via use of Cas9/gRNA, many of which involved use of IDT's ssODN or MegaMers, with over a dozen more currently in progress. See the Cas9/gRNA Mediated Genome Engineering Services page for details.

Of interest to TMF and Cancer Center users

Nucleosomes inhibit target cleavage by CRISPR-CAS9 in vivo - a possible reason why targeting efficiency varies from locus to locus. (2018) PNAS 38, p9351.

The Mice that Grow Human Tumours  - a brief news feature on utility of PDX mouse models (2018) Nature 560, p156

NCG - NOD CRISPR prkdc Il2r Gamma triple immunodeficient Mouse Model - A new mouse model for engratment of human normal and tumor tissues.

Genetically engineered mouse models in oncology research and cancer medicine. (2017) EMBO Molecular Medicine 9, p137.

Of mice and CRISPR : The post-CRISPR future of the mouse as a model system for the human condition. (2017) EMBO Reports 18, p187.

Multiplexed pancreatic genome engineering and cancer induction by transfection-based CRISPR/Cas9 delivery in mice. (2016) Nat. Commun. 26, doi:10.1038/ncomms10770. 

Striking immune phenotypes in gene-targeted mice are driven by a copy-number variant originating from a commercially available C57BL/6 strain. (2016) Cell Reports 15.

Analysis of mammalian gene function through broad-based phenotypic screens across a consortium of mouse clinics. Hrabe de Angelis et al, (2015) Nature Genetics 47, p969.

CRISPR-mediated direct mutation of cancer genes in the mouse liver, Xue W, et al., Nature (2014) doi:10.1038/nature13589

Genome editing with Cas9 in adult mice corrects a disease mutation and phenotype, Yin H, et al., Nature Biotechnology (2014) doi:10.1038/nbt.2884

'Humanized' Mouse Detects Deadly Drug Side Effects, J. Cohen, Science (2014) 344, p244

The APL Paradigm and the "Co-Clinical Trial" Project. Nardella, et al., Cancer Discovery (2011) 1, p108. DOI:10.1158/2159-8290.CD-11-0061

How can we assist you ?

• Finding and importing mice
• Need to import or export mice?  Use Mustrac - an on-line tool developed at UCI
• Making mutant mice
  • Cas9/gRNA-mediated genome engineering
  • Targeted mutations via homologous recombination in ES-cells
  • Inserting transgenes into the ROSA26 locus

• Designing a targeting vector
• Breeding
• Genotyping
• What strain of mice did this ES cell line come from? (PDF)

The TMF is a Shared Resource funded in part by the Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center Support Grant (P30CA062203) from the National Cancer Institute, by Strategic Partnerships with various UCI Offices and Schools, and by established chargeback systems.