Mouse Genetics Laboratory Shared Resource

Mouse Genetics Laboratory Shared Resource Summary The mission of the Mouse Genetics Laboratory (MGL) Shared Resource is to provide state-of-the-art services in generating new mouse models for users. Genetically modified mice have been vital tools for cancer studies for many years, enabling researchers to determine the roles of specific genes in cancer-relevant traits such as immune evasion, tumor initiation, and metastasis. MGL produces transgenic and knockout mice, cryopreserves mouse sperm and embryos, performs embryonic stem cell gene targeting, assists with mouse embryo manipulation, and provides scientific consultation. These services provide Masonic Cancer Center (MCC) members convenient, cost-effective access to genetically modified mice and associated technologies and are critical to the ongoing work of the Genetic Mechanisms, Immunology, and Cellular Mechanisms Programs of the MCC. As a new service, MGL now directly coordinates production of CRISPR/Cas9-altered mice with the Genome Engineering Shared Resource (GESR). GESR assists researchers with the design and generation of guide RNA and validates their efficacy, and then MGL generates mice with the edited genome. MGL is now led by Dr. Timothy Hallstrom (CM) who has 10 years of experience with mouse genetics research. He is the PI of an NCI R01 and leads a research laboratory focused on the cellular mechanisms controlling the retinoblastoma (Rb) protein. Day-to-day operations of the MGL are managed by Yun You, PhD, who was previously the supervisor of the Transgenic Group in the Mouse Genetic Core Facility at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and was recruited in 2016 to supervise the operations of the MGL and to educate users of the laboratory on policies, protocols, and maintenance of transgenic mouse strains. In the last funding period, MGL moved to the new Cancer and Cardiovascular Research Building. This places the resource in close proximity to a large number of investigators in the Biomedical Discovery District, including members of the MCC and Academic Health Center groups such as the Stem Cell Institute, Institute for Translational Neuroscience, and Lillehei Heart Institute.