Animal Care and Germ-Free Core

Directed by, Dr. Lucy Kennedy, The Animal Care and Germ-Free Core plays a central role in the management of animal flow through the Center’s phenotyping cores from initial acquisition to final disposition of imported mice.  The gateway for all phenotyping involving live mice, the Animal Care and Germ-Free Mouse Core provides mouse importation, quarantine, housing, veterinary care, clinical chemistry and histopathology services; as well as, host a germ-free mouse facility that works to produce and distribute germ-free and gnotobiotic mouse models.

Whether dealing with experimentally induced conditions or spontaneously occurring diseases, the Animal Care and Germ Free Mouse Core offers a wide-array of expertise in laboratory animal pathology, pathology preparations, and services. 

Services that can be utilized individually or combined as a full service based on the needs of the project include:

Germ Free Mouse Isolater

The mission of the University of Michigan Germ-Free Mouse Core is to provide germ-free and gnotobiotic mouse models for investigators within and outside the University of Michigan. Germ-free mice are raised and housed in soft-sided bubble isolators and are monitored regularly to ensure that they are free of all exogenous microbes, including bacteria, fungi, parasites, and exogenous viruses. Gnotobiotic mice, colonized with defined microbial communities and/or specific pathogens, are housed in individually ventilated isocages, designed to prevent entry of any microbial contaminant. Germ-free mice housed in properly managed isocages remain germ-free indefinitely, and gnotobiotic mice remain gnotobiotic.

The core maintains a colony of germ-free C57BL/6, Swiss-Webster, and BALB/c mice that are available for purchase. Currently, IL-10 knockout mice on a C57BL/6 background are also maintained, and other knockout strains may be available. In addition to breeding, housing, and selling mice, the core offers hysterectomy-based rederivation services. SPF breeders can be shipped to the core where they will be bred and offspring rederived into germ-free isolators. The new germ-free line can be shipped back to the investigator or maintained in our breeding colony, when space allows.

Finally, the core provides technical services for performing experiments in house according to investigators’ protocol. In addition to microbial colonization by gavage, services include tissue and sample collection, body weight monitoring, genetic monitoring, etc. Consultation services are also available.

Please find our standard list of prices and services described in the table below. When you are ready to proceed, please follow the steps to submit a Request for Service.

Browse or Search for Services

Listed prices reflect internal UofM investigator rates, external customers are subject to additional fees, please inquire for a quote.

Test Number Test Name
MI1030
Decalcification
$10.40
MI1031
Histology - Trim/Cassette (Paraffin or OCT)
$12.00
MI1033
Histology - Paraffin Processing and Embedding
$4.50
MI1034
Histology - Tissue Sections, Paraffin Unstained Slide
$5.00
MI1035
Histology - Paraffin H&E Slide (section & stain)
$7.50
MI1036
Histology - Tissue Sections, Frozen Unstained Slide
$10.00
MI1037
Histology - Tissue Sections, Frozen H&E Slide (section & stain)
$11.00
MI1038
Histology - Special Stain, Masson Trichrome (MTC)
$20.00
MI1040
Histology - Special Stain, Toluidine Blue
$20.00
MI1041
Histology - Special Stain, Prussian Blue
$20.00
MI1042
Histology - Special Stain, Picrosirius Red
$20.00
MI1043
Histology - Special Stain, Verhoeff Van Gieson
$35.00
MI1044
Histology - Speical Stain, Gram
$35.00
MI1045
Histology - Speical Stain, Luxol Fast Blue (LFB)
$20.00
MI1046
Histology - Special Stain, Warthin Starry
$35.00
MI1047
Histology - Special Stains, Other
$30.00
MI1048
Immunohistochemistry - Tier 1 (ALDH1, Amylase, aSMA, CD45R-B220, CD3, Caspase-3, F4/80, GFAP, GFP, Insulin, Ki67, Ly-6G, Lyve-1, Mac2, Neurofilament)
$33.00
MI1049
Immunohistochemistry - Tier 2 (AE1/AE3 + 8/18, CD4, CD8a, CD31, Estrogen Receptor, Glucagon, c-erbB2/HER2, Progesterone, Von Willebrand Factor)
$38.00
MI1053
Histology - Technician Labor
$60.00/hr
MI1054
Pathologist Hourly
$195.62/hr
MI1055
Aperio 20X scan, Semi-automated, >50 slides, each
$15.00/ea
MI1056
Aperio 20X scan, Semi-automated, batch of 20-50, each
$17.00/ea
MI1057
Aperio 20X scan, Semi-automated, each
$19.00/ea
MI1058
Aperio Technician Labor
$60.00/hr
MI1059
Histology - Negative Control (mouse tissue)
$29.90

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