Cryopreservation of Embryos

The Transgenic and Reproductive Technology Center maintains a frozen mouse embryo repository to preserve genetically altered strains of mice or stocks otherwise important to the scientific community. Cryopreservation is an important tool by which the scientific community might guard against genetically altered lines of mice being lost due to infection, accident, or genetic drift. Once again, our staff is dedicated to working closely with individual investigators to ensure that their needs are met in a timely fashion, while at the same time maintaining the integrity of important animal models for use in future research.

The Transgenic and Reproductive Technology Center personnel’s responsibility is to superovulate females, mate them with males, check plugs, dissect E2.5 embryos and freeze them. About 250-400 heterozygous and 150-200 homozygous embryos will be frozen for each line. Control vials will be thawed and embryos checked for viability.

Procedure Outline

1. Investigator discusses details of the cryopreservation projects and schedule cryopreservation with Transgenic and Reproductive Technology Center manager Rada Norinsky. After all details are settled, the Cryopreservation Requisition Form should be submitted to TGL (fax: x7748) or e-mailed to norinsr@rockefeller.edu
2. Investigator provides Transgenic and Reproductive Technology Center with at least 8 males of the appropriate breeding age (8-12 weeks old). Females of the appropriate for superovulation age (4-5 weeks old) should be provided or purchased by the investigator.
3. Prior to transferring animals into cryopreservation room, a serology test should be performed (1 animal per cage) Serology Reqiusition Form. Upon receiving negative results from the CBC Diagnostics Technician, the Investigator should request transfer of animals into room 232 Transfer Request. The Investigator can either fill in the CBC request form or perform mouse eye bleeding himself/herself and bring tubes with 0.5ml of blood or 200µl of serum to CBC Diagnostics Technician (x8522).4