Foreword

Genetically modified mouse models have become a key tool in basic and biomedical research. The ability to engineer the mouse genome has greatly transformed biomedical research in the last decade. Crucial for this technology is the ability to control the expression of genes of interest. It is possible to increase or decrease gene expression, or eliminate the expression of a gene completely. Transgenic and gene knockout/knockin technologies have become important experimental tools for assigning functions to genes at the level of whole complexity of organism, creating models of genetic disorders, evaluating effects drugs and toxins, thus helping to answer fundamental issues in basic and applied research.

The Transgenic Unit (TgU) was established under the direction of Assoc. Prof. Radislav Sedlacek in 2008/2009 to offer the research community at IMG and other cooperating institutions the opportunity to study the function of individual genes using mouse models. Specific services offered are the generation of genetically-engineered mice (transgenic, knock-out/in mice), rederivations, in vitro fertilization (IVF), and archiving of mouse strains (embryo and sperm freezing cryopreservation).