Mouseline Services

Service Details

• Speed Expansion

• Mouseline Rescue by IVF

Service Charges

How To Order

Service Details

The mouseline services offered by the CMMR enable the production of large numbers of embryos by in vitro fertilization (IVF). These embryos can then be used to rederive a mouseline to SPF health status, rescue a mouseline that has stopped natural breeding, or expand a mouseline to produce large numbers of age-matched mice for rapid colony establishment and expansion or experimental manipulation. Depending on the demands of the user for embryos, simultaneous cryopreservation of embryos and/or sperm can be accomplished for extra cost.

Speed Expansion

Speed expansion uses in vitro fertilization (IVF) to generate a large number of embryos which are transferred to pseudopregnant CD-1 females to rapidly expand a colony. Requesters provide one or more proven male breeders as sperm donors. Superovulated wild type females are used as oocyte donors. Depending on the mouseline background, up to 200 embryos can be produced from a single IVF session.

Each session of Speed Expansion includes sperm and oocyte harvest, IVF, in vitro embryo assessment, and the transfer of all generated embryos into pseudopregnant recipients. We transfer approximately 20 embryos per recipient. Recipient mice are housed in the SPF barrier of the TCP until shipment to the Requester’s home animal facility or release to other housing areas of the TCP. The user provides proven male breeders to the CMMR for sperm harvest.

Service fees are per attempt (i.e. per male donor) and include superovulation of oocyte donors, sperm and oocyte harvest, IVF, and embryo washing and assessment.

Service fees do not include purchase of commercial oocyte donors, embryo transfer, pseudopregnant recipients and their housing, clipping or genotyping of pups, health testing of foster mothers, animal housing or shipping costs. Embryo transfer, pseudopregnant recipients and animal housing are not included in the cost since these costs will vary depending on the number of embryos produced and transferred. In general, each recipient will receive approximately 20 embryos and will be housed for ~43 days until litters are weaned.

Mouseline Rescue by IVF

Mouseline Rescue uses in vitro fertilization (IVF) to attempt recovery of a line that has stopped natural breeding. If males are available, sperm harvested from mutant mice is used to fertilize wild-type oocytes harvested from superovulated females. Requesters provide one or two male mice as sperm donors. Unless otherwise specified at time of request, all resultant viable embryos will be transferred into pseudopregnant females (~20 embryos/female). If a surplus of embryos are available, they can be cryopreserved on request for an additional charge.

Each attempt of Mouseline Rescue by IVF includes sperm and oocyte harvest, IVF, embryo assessment, washing and transfer of embryos into pseudopregnant recipients. The success of mouseline rescue will depend on what mice are available and their fertility status. The initial attempt uses fresh sperm with ten wild-type donor females. On request and for an additional charge, some sperm may be cryopreserved at the time of IVF so that if IVF fails, other options (e.g. ICSI) can be explored.

Service fees for Mouseline Rescue by IVF using mutant males include superovulation of oocyte donors, sperm and oocyte harvest, IVF, embryo assessment and washing.

Service fees do not include purchase of commercial oocyte donors, embryo transfer, pseudopregnant recipients and their housing, clipping or genotyping of pups, health testing of foster mothers, animal housing or shipping costs. Embryo transfer, pseudopregnant recipients and animal housing are not included in the cost since these costs will vary depending on the number of embryos produced and transferred. In general, recipients will will be housed for ~6-8 weeks until litters are weaned and released from post-surgical isolation after health testing (room- or rack-level testing included in fee).

Service Charges

Service		TCP Investigators	Non-Profit Canadian Institution	Non-Profit International Institution
Speed Expansion or Mouseline Rescue by IVF, per attempt Includes sperm harvest and assessment, superovulation of wild-type oocyte donors,, oocyte harvest, IVF, embryo assessment and collection, and washing, and transfer of up to 100 embryos into up to five pseudopregnant recipients collection Does not include purchase of oocyte donors, embryo transfer, embryo cryopreservation, animal housing costs or animal transport	TCP F1	$424	$551	$678
	TCP F2 or External	$484	$629	$774
Hormones, per 5IU aliquot Includes PMS and hCG hormones needed for standard dosing of 5 mice		$6	$8	$10
Embryo Cryopreservation, per IVF Includes washing and cryopreservation of embryos Does not include IVF or annual storage charges, if applicable		$150	$195	$240
Embryo Transfer, per recipient with Mouseline Services Includes embryo transfer surgery for each pseudopregnant recipient Total costs per Service Request depends on total number of embryos transferred Does not include animal housing, health testing of individual recipients, clipping or genotyping of pups, or animal transport		$90	$117	$144

How to Order

The Principal Investigator (PI) (and designate) must have an account on TCP LIMS. Please follow the Order Instructions using the Mouseline Rescue or Expansion by IVF Service Request form.