Page 31 - Gates-AnnualReport-2016

3 BIOENGINEERING CORE
The generation of genetically modified animals is a powerful tool for understanding the role of genes and gene mutations in normal tissue and organ development as well as in diseases. The Bioengineering Core provides pronuclear injections to produce conventional and bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) transgenic mice, mouse embryonic stem cell (ES) cell injections to produce mice with modified genes (e.g., knockout), cryo-preservation of embryos and embryo re-derivation. We also conduct “gene targeting” experiments in ES cells and induced iPSCs that allow the introduction of a deletion or a targeted mutation into a disease-promoting gene.
With the advent of induced iPSC technology, researchers can now reprogram adult tissue-derived cells into stem cells that can differentiate into any type of cell in the adult body. This approach has tremendous potential, not only for designing new therapies, but also for the understanding of complex human diseases. The Bioengineering Core generates iPSC from various species used in biomedical research (e.g., human, mouse, dog, horse) and conducts genome editing experiments in these cells using the CRISPR/CAS system. This approach enables researchers to specifically change gene sequences in these cells (e.g., create or eliminate disease-causing mutations).
In 2016, the Bioengineering Core supported the research projects of 56 investigators. Our services included the generation of 30 genetically engineered mouse lines, the cryo-preservation of 46 mouse lines and 109 stem cell- related services (e.g., gene targeting in mouse embryonic stem cells, iPSC generation, iPSC differentiation into defined cell types and gene editing in iPSC).
The Bioengineering Core serves investigators from the University of Colorado Denver as well as investigators from other Colorado universities (e.g., Colorado State University, University of Colorado Boulder) and universities across the United States and abroad (e.g., Switzerland, Australia).
Financial support of our facility is provided by grant funding from the NIH (SDRC, CCTSI), funding from the CU School of Medicine (dean’s funding) to Dr. Peter J Koch and user fees. The Gates Center for Regenerative Medicine has provided space and equipment for our stem cell operations.
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New Mouse Lines Cryopreserved Mouse Lines Stem Cell Related Services Investigators Served
BIOENGINEERING CORE USE
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