INFRAFRONTIER opens its services for precision rat mutant model generation

April 16, 2018

In a new Trans-national Access Call INFRAFRONTIER offers open access to its infrastructure and expertise for researchers who need rat mutant models to be generated for their scientific aims. It’s the first time that the European research infrastructure for modeling human diseases via mammalian genomes expands its unique services to generate not only mouse, but rat models for its users.

Rat models ideal for studies in neurobiology, cardiobiology, and immunology

There are many cognitive and physiological characteristics that make the rat an ideal human disease model in research areas such as neurobiology, cardiobiology, and immunology. So rat models will advance knowledge of human diseases and certainly be of widespread use in biomedical science. Recent progress in genome-editing technology will be used to develop many new rat mutants – in order to model human diseases which cannot be treated effectively today.

INFRAFRONTIER will also provide open access to all newly developed disease models through the European Mouse Mutant Archive (EMMA). Access to this free-of-charge-service will be granted on the basis of the applicant’s research plans and the potential impact of the proposed novel rat model on the wider biomedical research community.

Call closing by May 31
The participating INFRAFRONTIER partners will be the Czech Centre for Phenogenomics (CCP) in Prague and Phenomin-ICS in Illkirch/France. They routinely provide mouse and rat model development services using all standard approaches such as gene targeting, the generation of chimeric mice from gene-targeted ES cells and gene editing technologies such as TALENs or CRISPR/Cas9. Both mouse clinics are engaged in large scale mouse production projects like the IMPC and have a capacity of 100 to 150 model development projects per year. Applicants to the call will benefit from extensive user support which covers detailed consulting on project design.

Information for applicants

INFRAFRONTIER® and European Mouse Mutant Archive - EMMA® are registered trademarks at the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO).