Facilities

• The Transgenic Animal Facility (TAF) is housed in Rightmire and Pressey Halls on The Ohio State University West Campus and consists of two animal vivariums (capable of housing 23,000 mice) and a DNA Preparation Laboratory.  The Center for Molecular Neurobiology vivariums can house mice generated for research under specific pathogen free (SPF) conditions.  Board-certified DVMs provide veterinary conultation and primary care of the animals is maintained by AALAS-certified technicians.  All animal housing facilities at The Ohio State University are fully accredited by the American Association for Accreditation for Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC).  OSU adheres to the Institutional guidelines for the care and use of animlas in research.  The transgenic facility is run under IACUC supervision; inspections of the facility are performed annually.
  
  
• Transgenic animals are routinely generated at the Rightmire Hall animal vivarium.  Since January of 1994, the TAF has generated many lines of transgenic mice, with up to 50% of born pups being transgenic founders.  The TAF has successfully produced a minimal of three founders for every DNA construct submitted since November 2002.
  
  
• The DNA Preparation Laboratory is a 370 sq.ft. laboratory fully equippped for molecular biological research.  This laboratory is used for purification of DNA fragments for microinjection or electroporation, and PCR analysis and Southern analysis of potentially transgenic mice.
  
  
• Share facilities available in the Center for Molecular Neurobiology include:
  • 1 necropsy room
  • 2 procedure rooms (1 in each vivarium)
  • 2 scintillation counter rooms
  • 2 ultracentrifuge rooms
  • 4 cold rooms (1000 sq.ft.)
  • 1 histology room
  • 2 darkrooms
  • 2 autoclave/dishwasher rooms

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Equipment

The Transgenic Animal Facility is equipped with two suites of microinjection stations and equipment for DNA purification.  These include:

• Zeiss Axiovert 135M microscope equipped with Hoffman optics and Leitz mincromanipulators
• Anti-vibration air tables
• Zeiss Axiovert 25 inverted microscope equippped with fluorescence
• Dissecting microscopes
• Nikon Phase contrast inverted microscope with camera
• Narishige microforge
• Horizontal and vertical pipette pullers
• BioRad Gene Pulser electroporator
• Double chamber CO_² incubators
• BTX Electro Cell Manipulator 2001
• Perkin Elmer thermal cycler for PCR analysis
• Cell culture laminar flow hoods
• BioCool slow freezing unit
• Liquid nitrogen freezer