Transgenic Core Facility

The Transgenic Core Facility is a joint facility of the Max Planck Institutes of Biochemistry and Biological Intelligence. The service is open to all departments and groups of the two Institutes.

Research with genetically engineered mouse models is dependant on the availability of specific techniques, highly specialized laboratory equipment and skilled staff. The Transgenic Core Facility provides the lab infrastructure for the maintenance and generation of transgenic mouse models and the complete set of gene targeting and transgenesis technologies in a setting of specific pathogen free (SPF) animal housing. The facility offers support, advice and counselling for non-specialists in recombinant embryonic stem (ES) cell technology, de novo establishment of mouse ES cell lines, gene targeting experiments and the approval of certain animal experiments. As a routine service the Transgenic Core Facility performs the following experimental techniques:

• Pronuclear injection of transgenic constructs and recombineered BACmids into mouse oocytes of strains C57BL/6N, FVB/N and F1-hybrid strains.
• Generation of chimeric mice as a key intermediate step in any gene targeting experiment via standard injection into 3.5 dpc blastocysts and laser-assisted injection into 8-cell stage embryos using predominantly recombinant ES cell lines of the 129 and C57BL/6 backgrounds.
• Cryopreservation of mouse embryos for long term maintenance and banking of mouse lines.
• Rederivation of mouse lines, which is mandatory for any mouse line imported to ensure the high SPF standard, and of cryopreserved embryos.