Directed by, Dr. Robert Sigler, Dr. Jennifer Lofgren and Dr. Kathryn Eaton, The Animal Care and Germ-Free Mouse 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 interacts with the Microbiome core to produce and distribute germ-free and gnotobioticmouse models.
Established in 2004, the germ-free mouse facility , part of the Unit for Laboratory Animal Medicine, provides services to the entire University of Michigan community and can also ship germ-free mice to locations worldwide.
Primary and collaborative research projects include studies investigating inflammatory bowel disease and cancer, host microbiome interactions, infectious disease pathogenesis, and mammalian and bacterial metabolism, among others. The staff also performs research and training in gnotobiotic technology and methods
Mice can be used in our facility or shipped to other facilities in germ-free shipping containers.
Available strains include:
- C57BL/6
- BALB/c
- Swiss-Webster (outbred)
- IL-10 knockout (B6.129P2-Il10tm1Cgn/J)
- RAG-I knockout (B6.129S7-Rag1tm1Mom/J)
- Others may be available upon request