Frequently Asked Questions

Center for Rodent Genetics

Where do I order the line I want?

Go to the online catalog for the Mutant Mouse Regional Resource Centers (MMRRC) :

• Under the menu field called "Major Collection" use the pull-down menu to access the submenu called "Deltagen/Lexicon".
• Enter the gene name or symbol, and the search engine will find the line you want. Follow the instructions.

HINT: At this moment only 167 of the 251 purchased lines already are reposited with MMRRC. The rest of the lines are scheduled to be expanded and reposited as frozen embryos by May 2006.

Is there a fee for me to get the mice?

Yes, MMRRC charges a nominal fee that varies with the type of materials you want. The fee-schedule is available on their Web site.

How do I get the order for a mouse line placed?

As with obtaining ANY animal strain into the NIEHS Vivarium, you place the order through the CMB office. They route the request once you have the appropriate ACUC clearance, rack space assigned, etc.

You cannot simply order up animals directly from a vendor.

What is the expected timing?

The project officer has announced that the physiology/histology/expression data for each line will be available via the MMRRC Web site search engine by about December 1, 2005. These will consist of raw data files. A better viewer tool is in the works for May 2006.

Animal delivery won't be expected in less than six months. The vendors have to provide a certain minimum number of frozen embryos and other reagents.

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Does NIEHS have exclusive access to the lines we paid for?

No, nobody has exclusive access to any of these lines. NIH has merely "re-patriated" these knockout lines into the public sector by purchasing them from these companies. But any scientist who qualifies to use the MMRRC resource can have the same access.

HINT: Apply right away, so that you are first-in-line at the MMRRC when they start processing the orders from this contract! There is a "Register Interest" button that shows up for each mouse line queried that will allow you to pre-order.

Where can I look at a summary of the phenotypic data for each of the 251 mouse lines?

You can find the info on the JAX MGI Web site: http://www.informatics.jax.org/external/ko/

The line I want isn't on the list of 251, but it does appear on the list of the remaining lines. How do I get one of the lines that was not purchased in the first round?

That part has not been defined yet. The cost of a line (with all its data sets) is roughly $40,000. There are no funds dedicated to carrying out an additional group of acquisitions.

If you and others wish to cooperate together to pool resources, or have other considerations for completing the necessary purchases, see your supervisor regarding opportunities.

What other information is available about these contracts and their resources?

Other information for this project can be found on the Trans-NIH Mouse Initiatives Web site.

In addition, the Jackson Laboratory Web site has various links for additional information including lists of lines with hyperlinks to the Mouse Genome Information Web site for each line.

Is there anything else I should know?

MMRRC has other Frequently Asked Questions ((FAQs) but please be aware that some of these FAQs may not be applicable to NIEHS researchers or to the Deltagen/Lexicon contract. If you have any further questions that have not been addressed by these or the MMRRC's FAQs, please contact the appropriate party on the MMRRC's contact list or contact the project officer for this initiative.

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