The study of genetically modified mice has greatly expanded our understanding of kidney development and pathophysiology. The UT Southwestern O’Brien Center Animal Models Core provides cutting-edge technology to investigators wishing to generate mouse models for the study of kidney development and/or function.

The Animal Models Core serves three major purposes:

• To provide the necessary reagents and expertise to mouse geneticists who do not normally study the kidney, to facilitate and encourage their move into this field.
• To encourage non-mouse geneticists, especially clinical investigators, to venture into the mouse system and to ease this transition.
• To provide tools to mouse geneticists who do study the kidney, to assist in their studies.

The Core generates and distributes several kidney-specific Cre recombinase and tetracycline-inducible activator and repressor lines to be crossed to floxed or tet responder lines provided by co-investigators. Core personnel assist in generating additional transgenic mice, knockout/in mice, and cell lines, as required by co-investigators. Core personnel also use and train investigators to use various models of organ injury/repair and ex vivo culture. As mentioned, the ultimate purpose of this core is to facilitate research on kidney development and pathophysiology.

Animal Model Process

• Create an iLab Solutions account by following the directions located on page: Core Request Instructions
• Go to the iLab Core homepage: Animal Models Core
  • For mouse orders go to Request Services tab
  • For the surgical suite go to the Schedule Equipment tab
• Once you initiate the order, fill out the required forms, and click submit.
• Core staff will review the forms and verify the project meets the NIH requirements.
• Core staff will enter the information from the forms into the Contracts Office software.
• Contracts Office will draft the Material Transfer Agreement (MTA) within 2 weeks of the submission date.
• Once the PI has signed the MTA the Core staff will check the availability of the line requested.
• If the mice are available, the shipment coordinator will send the health reports to the PI.
• If the mice are out of stock the Core staff will breed them and notify the PI of an approximate shipment date.
  • UTSW Users: Once the mice are transferred you’ll be billed overnight through PeopleSoft based on the subledger you listed on your order. It will go through the already existing PeopleSoft workflow set up by your division.
  • Non-UTSW Users: You’ll receive an invoice via email. We accept purchase orders, checks, and wire transfers.

Animal Core Services

Request Services:

Schedule Equipment:

• Surgical Suite

Training:

• Embryonic Kidney Organ Cultures
• Kidney Injury or Repair Model
• Renal Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury
• Survival Bleeding Technique
• Ureteral Obstruction

For pricing and sample guidelines log in to iLab by clicking Core Request or go to Core Request Instructions to register.