EMMA Steps Up: Making Mutant Mouse Strains Easier to Track with RRIDs

The European Mouse Mutant Archive (EMMA), Europe’s largest mouse repository and the third largest non-profit resource of its kind globally, has long been a critical asset for biomedical research. With over 8,900 mutant mouse strains (and an increasing number of rat models) available for distribution and more than 50 countries served, EMMA plays a vital role in supporting studies into human disease mechanisms. Operated by the INFRAFRONTIER Research Infrastructure, EMMA doesn’t just preserve and distribute strains: it actively contributes to best practices in research infrastructure, training, and reproducibility.

In line with its mission to enhance transparency and scientific rigor, INFRAFRONTIER has just visibly implemented Research Resource Identifiers (RRIDs) for its EMMA strains, a move that marks a significant step forward for traceability and reproducibility in preclinical research. In the details pages for each EMMA strain, users can find now the corresponding RRIDs, together with a ready-to-use sentence for citing the strain in their publications.

This rollout signals INFRAFRONTIER’s ongoing commitment to improving research standards. RRIDs provide unique, persistent identifiers for biological resources like mouse strains, making it easier for researchers to cite, find, and verify the exact EMMA models used in studies. For a repository as vast and vital as EMMA, embedding RRIDs directly into its strain catalog means users can now more easily integrate these citations into their research workflows while meeting funder and journal guidelines for rigor and reproducibility.

EMMA’s adoption of RRIDs is more than just a technical upgrade, it’s part of a broader cultural shift towards open, reliable science. By ensuring that every mouse strain has a unique and standardised identifier, INFRAFRONTIER is helping the global research community stay better connected, reduce redundancy, and build more trust in published results. It’s a small change with big impact, and one that reinforces EMMA’s role as not just a repository, but a cornerstone of collaborative, high-quality biomedical research.

Content adapted from RRID’s newsletter. Find more about RRID here.