Rat and Mouse Colony Management and Breeding Services
Charles River provides full-service rat and mouse colony management programs to deliver animals to you when you need them, in the exact quantities you specify, and with the health status that you require.
When looking at the total cost of transgenic mouse and rat breeding and housing, it is important to look at a fair comparison, since some institutions have extra costs which are not included in per diem pricing. Our mouse colony management program offers service packages that include rat or mouse husbandry work, technician tasks, veterinary consultancy, and health monitoring.
Reasons to Outsource Transgenic Rat and Mouse Breeding
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Obtain a higher level of control, IT infrastructure, and data management
Our Internet Colony Management (ICM™) platform provides 24-hour access to set tasks within your colonies as well as the ability to review current and historical data.
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Focus on research, not managing a rodent colony
Our dedicated, knowledgeable project managers act as your single point of contact and take the burden of mouse colony management off your hands so you can focus on what matters most – your research.
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Address concerns regarding health status and biosecurity
As a global leader in health surveillance and isolator technology, you can rest assured that your precious transgenic lines and research are protected, with flexible options to meet your needs.
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Receive expert advice for rat and mice breeding issues, animal welfare, and maintaining genetic integrity
As the world's largest supplier of research models, our experienced panel of experts deliver first-rate embryology, genotyping, and veterinary services.
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Overcome challenges of space constraints, quarantine, and/or facility moves/refurbishments
Our rat and mouse colony management services act as an extension of your facility. With ICM™, our efficient logistics network, and worldwide delivery, your genetically engineered colonies are just a mouse click away.
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Access third party expertise for complex breeding schemes
Together with our PhD-level genetics experts and veterinary team, our project management team can provide you with expert advice for even the most complex rat and mouse breeding schemes. They'll ensure that you have a clear understanding of timelines for breeding and genotyping so that you are accurately receiving your cohorts when you need them.
Book a Digital Tour of Our Colony Management Capabilities
Learn the many benefits of outsourcing the breeding of your genetically engineered rodents, including focusing your time on research – not on managing a rodent colony.
Case Studies
Find out how we've been able to help our clients with their rat and mouse colony management needs by reading these case studies:
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Large Facility Refurbishment Project – How to Keep Research Going (academic)
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Seeking Robust IT Platform, Breeding Expertise, and Regulatory Support (academic)
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Biotech Looking to Focus on Science and Needing Versatile Data Management Tool (commercial)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Rat and Mouse Colony Management
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What are Charles River's mouse colony management and breeding services?
We provide a full-service rodent colony management program with expert staff that will work with you to develop and execute rat and mouse breeding plans, troubleshoot colony management or breeding issues, and deliver cohorts of study-ready animals at any health status applicable for your research.
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What is genetic drift? Does it occur in colonies of genetically engineered mice? How can I protect my colonies against it?
Genetic drift occurs when spontaneous mutations arise and spread to become homozygous in a mouse colony. If such mutations alter the phenotype, this will impact your research significantly. It can happen in all mouse colonies and occurs more often in smaller colonies as compared to larger ones.
The best method to minimize the impact of genetic drift on mutant and transgenic mouse strains is to refresh the genetic background every 5 – 10 generations by backcrossing to the inbred control strain. Speak to one of our project managers about how best to implement a mouse colony management strategy for your specific colonies.
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How can I manage my rat and mouse colonies remotely?
Our Internet Colony Management (ICM™) system provides researchers and laboratory personnel 24-hour access to manage their animal colonies and data. Review real-time data captured cageside and direct action within your rat or mouse colony.
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What additional services do you offer with rat and mouse breeding?
To go along with your breeding and rat and mouse colony management needs, we can also offer animal quarantine, IVF rodent colony expansion, line recovery, and speed congenics.