Permanently archiving your valuable genetically engineered mouse and rat strains via cryopreservation ensures that you will be able to recover live animals at any future date. To meet this need, we offer cryopreservation of mouse sperm and/or mouse and rat embryos. Cryopreservation of embryos and/or sperm provides an effective means of creating a low-cost backup to your live animal colony in the event of disasters such as microbial contamination, catastrophic accident or natural disaster, and/or cessation or alteration of genetic expression in later generations. At Charles River, we have cryopreserved over 7,000 unique genetically engineered mouse and rat lines and we guarantee to be able to recover any line we freeze, so you can have confidence that your backup will be there when you need it.
cryopreservation services
Our mouse sperm cryopreservation program is a fast and efficient means to quickly safeguard many genetically engineered strains. For rats or mouse strains with more complex genetics, homozygous animals, or reduced fertility due to the mutation or background, embryo cryopreservation is often a more secure option. Our colony specialists will work closely with you and our embryologists to determine the best cryopreservation program for you based on these factors as well as your individual needs.
All cryopreserved germ plasm can be maintained at Charles River or shipped to your facility for storage. Embryos and sperm stored in our facilities are divided between two independent locations, each with its own automated liquid nitrogen filling system and alarm network to help ensure the safety of your cryopreserved material.
