Research > Resources > Animal Core > Transgenic Mouse Facility Transgenic Core Services   Contact Information: Director:  Bruce A. Scharf, DVM, DACLAM Manager and Contact:   Ghassan Yehia, PhD Medical Science Building, Room A683 Phone: (973) 972-4472 Fax: 973 972-2620 E-mail: ghassayk@umdnj.edu   Our Mission The mission of the Transgenic Core at UMDNJ-NJMS is to provide expertise and assistance in the development and production of genetically modified mouse models that can serve as in vivo models for addressing a wide variety of biological questions. It is our goal to offer the highest quality services possible at reasonable prices to our scientific community. We apply strict conditions to keep our facility specific pathogen free and to provide a barrier environment for the housing of the transgenic mice.   About Us The Transgenic Core was created to provide consultation and services to the UMDNJ research community in order to produce genetically modified mice. Mice produced by the facility serve a broad range of investigators and address a variety of scientific questions. The facility performs Pronuclear microinjections, ES cell gene targeting, and targeted ES cell microinjections to produce transgenic and knockout mice for the research community. The Transgenic Core covers 3 rooms, within the Transgenic Mouse Barrier Facility (TGMBF), located in the A level: A685E for microinjection, A685G for Embryonic Stem (ES) cell culture, A686E for mouse housing. The equipment utilized by the facility is less than 5 years old. Major pieces of equipment within the facility include a Nikon and a Zeiss inverted microscope with DIC optics and Eppendorf micromanipulators, 3 Nikon dissecting scopes, a Sutter micropipette puller, two large laminar flow hoods for ES cells manipulation. The TgMBF has a one-way traffic pattern as follows: Animals and personnel enter the facility through the Clean Corridor into the "Sterile" Corridor, where the mouse cages are located, and exit into the Dirty Corridor. Animals are housed in micro-isolator units ( MICE cages http://www.animalcaresystems.com/products.shtml ) fitted with an air filtration membrane. These cages are plugged into a ventilation unit that maintains a continuous filtered airflow through the cages preventing pathogen contamination and keeping the mice in health conditions. In addition, all animal work is performed within a laminar flow hood using aseptic techniques. Keeping these strict rules of animal manipulation, all mice within the facility have maintained pathogen-free status since its inception.