ES Cell and Transgenics Facility

This shared resource of the Koch Institute provides fee-for-service support to all MIT investigators who utilize cultured ES cells or novel mouse models to study human diseases such as cancer. Access is available to all members of the MIT community, to the extent permitted by available capacity. Priority access is given to KI members, NCI-funded research projects and other contributing user groups in recognition of funding support. In special circumstances, access may be available to non-MIT users (details available on request from the Mouse Models Consultant, Aurora Burds Connor).

We provide a customizable set of service options to match the specific needs of each project, including consultative advice and troubleshooting, complete tissue culture and microinjection servces within our dedicated facilities or hands-on training to enable investigators to perfom these experiments either at their own laboratory or within our facilities.

Services Include:

• Gene Targeting – genomic modification through traditional or CRISPR/Cas9 locus targeting, assistance with targeting strategies and vector designs
• Embryonic Stem Cells – generation of new ES lines from mouse strains, importation and testing of lines from outside sources, differentiation of ES lines into specific cell lineages or cell types and more.
• Microinjection – Injection of mouse ES cells into blastocysts to generate chimeras and injection of DNA, RNA or virus into pronucleus of fertilized mouse eggs to generate transgenic mice.  We also provide Cas9mRNA for CRISPR pronuclear injections.
• Specialized Tissue Culture – Isolation of fibroblasts (MEFs) from mice for culture and analysis.
• Repository of Reagent Mice – containing Cre, FLP or Cas9, and other useful strains.
• Training and Troubleshooting for all aspects of Embryonic Stem Cells, primary cultures, animal breeding etc.
• Serum, DMEM, LIF and other media components that have been tested and verified for use with ES cells.
• Much more.

Services are scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis after approval.

Questions pertaining to our services?

Please email us. (escore@mit.edu)

The ES Cell & Transgenics Core is supported in part by funding provided to the Koch Institute from a National Cancer Institute Cancer Center Support Grant. We are thankful for the support that has been provided by a grant from the National Institutes of Health to the Cell Migration Consortium.