Services

The CMF is equipped to perform 2-cell stage embryo transfer into axenic recipients in order to rederive transgenic mouse strains into germ-free conditions. We offer either full package service including breeding, superovulation and collection of embryos of the strain of interest under SPF-FELASA documented status; or from frozen embryos or freshly collected 2-cell stage embryos.

Axenic and gnotobiotic mice in the CMF are housed in HEPA-filtered plastic film isolators under positive pressure to minimize contamination risks. The CMF is responsible of maintaining mouse lines for users (breeding, weaning, daily health checks, collection of biopsies for genotyping) and guarantees germ-free status due to an extensive monthly hygiene monitoring of the individual isolators. Please, contact us for details.

Our routine gnotobiotic microbiotas include the Altered Schaedler Flora – ASF (8 bacterial species) and the stable defined moderately diverse mouse Microbiota - sDMDMm2 (12 bacterial species). C57BL/6 mice are available born and raised colonized with these microbiotas. Colonizations with one or a combination of commensal and pathobiont bacteria are routinely performed in the CMF.  Customized colonizations can be done upon request within an experiment.

We offer our customers support in the planning and execution of experiments under strict axenic and gnotobiotic conditions. Daily scoring of mice can be performed by our technicians. Please, contact us for an appointment to discuss your experimental plans.

The CMF is endued with a biosafety level 2 (BSL2) room, in which infections with BSL2 organisms can be performed.

Behavioral tests with mice under axenic and gnotobiotic conditions can be carried out in the CMF in an isolator equipped with state-of-art equipment to perform the following tests: T-maze, novel object recognition and open field.