Contact Person

Consultation
蔡青宴 博士
Dr.Ching Yen Tsai
cytsai@imb.sinica.edu.tw
Office: 02-2652-1438
Lab: 02-2789-9312

 

Introduction

   

Since the discovery of DNA in 1869, scientists have intensively study the nature of DNA. After Watson and Crick first proposed the model of the DNA double helix in 1953, scientists successfully explain the observed phenomena. Until 1973, gene cloning technologies (gene engineering) was developed and flourishes the study of individual gene. However, the cloned gene could only be studied in vitro. In 1980, gene microinjection (pronuleus microinjection) developed and made scientists understand gene expression in vivo. Furthermore in 1988, gene knockout technology (gene targeting) developed using mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells. This technology can generate mice with the lack of specific gene. All these genetic engineering technologies can not only male it possible to in vivo observation of gene function and specificity of various properties of this gene but most importantly, these mutations can be inherited to the next generation, and to provide these special animal strains valuable information to the investigator. The gene-modified mouse model with similar pathogenesis of human disease can serve as an animal model for new drugs test in clinical. It can also serve a good model for academia research to understand the mechanisms underneath the disease. 

Under the support of Academia Sinica (AS) and the Inst. of Molecular Biology of AS, Transgenic Core Facility (TCF) was founded in 1997. TCF use state-of-art technologies for the production of gene-modified mouse, including transgenic mice (by pronuleus microinjection), knockout mice by gene targeting in mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells and chimeric mice production by ES cell microinjection, morula aggregation and laser-assisted microinjection. TCF also provides Cre and Flp transgenic mice purchased from Jackson Laboratory for chimera breeding. TCF not only generating the mouse models but works on innovation of transgenic technologies. On collaboration basis, we design and construct the gene targeting construct using BAC recombineering system. In addition to construct design, TCF is willing to generate “tool mice” (i.e. any kind of tissue-specific or temporally-controlled recombinase) for the mouse community.

 

The new policy of BioTechniques Editorial Board. (BioTechniques Vol. 67, No. 6 (Dec 2014)