Welcome to the Transgenic and Gene-Targeting Facility at the University of Kansas Medical Center! We are an institutional support facility providing a centralized service for the production of transgenic and gene-targeted mice for the investigators of KUMC and the surrounding Kansas City research community.
The facility is equipped with state-of-the-art instruments for making transgenic and knock-out mice. A Nikon TE2000 inverted microscope with Nomarski optics and temperature-adjustable warming/cooling stage is used for microinjection. This microscope is equipped with motorized Narishige manipulators, a Cell Tram Air micrometer, a Femtojet and a SAS air syringe to accomplish pronuclear and blastocyst injections. A de Fonbrune microforge, a Kopf vertical pipette puller and a Sutter P-97 horizontal puller are utilized for making holding and injection needles. The ES cell laboratory has equipment available to support the culture and manipulation of embryonic stem cells, including a BioRad GenePulser II electroporator for the transfection of DNA into ES cells.
The facility is located in new laboratory space in the Kansas Life Sciences Innovation Center. Co-incident with the move to new space, the facility purchased another Nikon TE2000 inverted microscope equipped with DIC, HMC and fluorescence, as well as new micrometers, a Femtojet and a Piezo drill. Other new equipment purchases include four Sanyo MCO-18M tri-gas incubators; new stereo and tissue culture microscopes with video and high resolution camera capabilities; an X-ray irradiator for inactivating feeder cells; an XY Clone laser objective for zona drilling; a pulse field gel electrophoresis unit; a controlled-rate freezer for embryo cryopreservation; an auto-fill liquid nitrogen storage tank and a vapor shipper. The facility is now equipped to offer a full range of embryo services, including generation of transgenics, chimeras and targeted embryonic stem cells; cryopreservation of sperm, embryos and oocytes; and assisted reproductive techniques such as rederivation, in vitro fertilization, and intracytoplasmic sperm injection. The facility is also offering the molecular biology services of genotyping and DNA construct preparation and is in the process of expanding services to include preparation of BAC DNA for microinjection and screening of ESC clones. We are also equipped to provide training and demonstrations in embryo, ESC and mouse surgical techniques. The new laboratory space has centralized our operations, with accommodations for embryo manipulations and cryogenics, distinct cell culture and molecular biology spaces, animal holding rooms and offices.
Investigators are invited to peruse the links at the left for detailed information on services and fees. Please submit the appropriate requisition form when requesting service, and please feel free to stop by or give us a call if you have questions. We welcome the opportunity to facilitate your research… if it involves embryos, we can do it!
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The University of Kansas Medical Center