Q:How long will it take to complete my project?
A:Every project is different. There is no way for PMPM to accurately predict an exact timeline for your project. Individual project factors, facility procedural factors, and internal project queues will all have an effect on project timelines. PMPM will update you on your project status from initial consult, right through to final reporting and invoicing so that you know the status of your projects with us at all times. After an initial consult with you, we will be more prepared to provide you with an estimated timeline for your project’s completion.
Q:Is there a specific method you would like me to follow when preparing my DNA construct for pronuclear injection?
A:Yes! DNA purity is extremely important to successful transgenic production. PMPM has a very specific protocol that we strongly recommend our clients follow when preparing constructs for injection.
Q:I wish to archive my mouseline. Should I freeze embryos or sperm?
A:Although every strain is different and exceptions to every rule apply, generally speaking, embryo cryo is considered the “gold standard” for mouse line archiving. Sperm cryo is, for the most part, more inexpensive than embryo cryo, however a mouse line is much easier to revive from frozen embryos than frozen sperm. There is an advantage to freezing sperm. Due to the relative ease of sperm cryo, it is possible to freeze down the sperm of mutants at different stages of your project, ie immediately after founder creation, or after many generations of crossing. This enables researchers to “go back in time” and return a mouse line to a previous state.
Q:Does PMPM guarantee any results?
A: Due to the large variation in gene function and ES cell lines, PMPM cannot guarantee that a transgene or an ESC line will produce transgenic mice or chimeras, or that chimeras or animals carrying the transgene will possess the desired protein expression or transmit the transgene to the germline or F1 generation. Similarly, as the background strain of mutant mice can affect the rederivation process and success, PMPM cannot guarantee successful rederivation per attempt.