genetic testing services 

A key component of successfully managing a genetically engineered colony is receiving precise and timely genotyping information for all animals born. At Charles River, we offer a full-service genotyping laboratory designed to get you results quickly, so you need to house only the animals required for your research. From simple PCR to our advanced speed congenics program (MAX-BAX^SM), you can have confidence that our dedicated team of scientists is working together with you to deliver accurate results faster.

We know that you have unique needs for each of your programs. So, our goal is to provide you with comprehensive genetic monitoring services that are customized to meet your individual needs. As part of our program, we design, optimize, and validate each genotyping assay to ensure the highest quality result, based on your individual criteria.

We offer genotyping for rodents and zebrafish in the following areas:

• PCR and SNP analysis for genotyping-targeted transgenics and point mutations;
• Quantitative PCR (QPCR) for determining zygosity of insertional transgenics;
• Background Strain Characterization for determining inbred background(s) of a model;
• MAX-BAX^SM Speed Congenics for accelerating the production of a congenic strain;
• Expression Testing for quantifying the steady-state level of mRNA expression;
• Copy Number Determination to quantify the number of tandem repeats in a single insertion;
• Strain Specific Verification to assess the genetics of common research models.

Our genetic testing services are an integral part in maintaining our high-quality, commercially available rodents. Specifically, our highly specialized disease models are available as models for specific human diseases thanks to their defined genetics.