The use of genetically altered mouse and stem cell models are critical tools for research members of the COBRE Project in Molecular Regulation of Cell Development and Differentiation at the University of Kansas Medical Center. The production and analysis of such models ultimately lead to better understanding of basic mechanisms of differentiation and gene expression, functional genomics of disease progression, and in vivo models for diagnostics and treatment. The Transgenic and Gene Targeting shared resource (TGIF), led by Jay L. Vivian PhD, supports members of COBRE and researchers in the Kansas City area by providing centralized technical services for the production of novel transgenic and gene-targeted rodents and genetically altered pluripotent stem cells. The Facility uses cutting edge methods, state-of-the-art instrumentation, and novel reagents for the generation of these models. The COBRE support of the TGIF allows for the development of specific initiatives in the Facility relevant to these researchers. Recent initiatives include successful integration of emerging technologies, including in vivo genome editing methods (e.g. CRISPR/Cas9 and TALE nucleases) to provide a more rapid means of generating novel mouse models. The integration of these continually evolving methods into the `toolbox' of the TGIF greatly accelerates the development of animal and stem cell models of development and differentiation, while also reducing the overall costs to COBRE researchers.
