Cryopreservation Resources Available to Safeguard Your Research, Protect Valuable Mouse Strains

April 7, 2020

Shield icon with mouse and DNA strand

The Animal Care & Use Program understands the important value of animals in your teaching and research, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic where animal models will play a critical role in the development of treatments and, ultimately, vaccines for COVID-19.

We want to make sure that you have the appropriate tools and resources available now to help preserve your critical research resources, specifically valuable mouse strains that may be extremely rare or unique, including transgenic lines.

Sperm cryopreservation is exceptionally valuable in helping you and your team prepare for an eventual return to normal research operations and should become a standard practice to regularly and routinely safeguard and protect your research.

Internal U-M Resources

At this time, the U-M Transgenic Animal Model Core does have the capacity to provide sperm cryopreservation for valuable strains.

  • To request this service, login to MiCores (umich.corefacilities.org) and navigate to the Transgenic Animal Model Core.
    • Click on the Request Services tab to “Mouse Cryopreservation Services” to fill out a submission form.

Please contact Thom Saunders with any additional questions. Services will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis.

External Resources

Jackson Laboratory logo

Jackson (JAX) Laboratory operations are still active, including sperm cryopreservation and recovery services. JAX currently offers a Sperm Cryo Kit that will allow you to preserve valuable strains while also eliminating the need to ship animals.

  • If you are interested in learning more about this service, please visit the JAX website.
  • Sperm Cryo Kits may also be requested by contacting JAX at micetech@jax.org or calling (800) 422-6423.

If you are concerned about the potential long-term impacts that the ramp down in research operations may have on your research, we strongly encourage you to consider these resources.

If you have any additional questions about transgenic mouse strains, or how to preserve your essential mouse lines, please reach out to your ULAM Faculty Veterinarian. If you don’t know your faculty veterinarian, please send an email to ulam-questions@umich.edu and your question will be routed appropriately.

Our team is available on campus and remotely to provide ongoing support for your research and the animals entrusted to our care.