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“We aim to provide robust precisely defined animal models that can fully interrogate host-microbiome interactions to advance microbiome research from association to causation and translate this knowledge into the clinic to improve human health.”
Mouse Models: We partner with with the International Microbiome Centre (IMC), the largest germ-free facility in North America. The IMC has a wide range of mouse models available to order for your experiments. Click here to see our list, and contact us if you’d like to make a request.
We also develop mouse models of human diseases, as well as pre-clinical animal models to study mucosal surfaces (e.g. gut, liver, lung, spleen, lymph nodes, heart, pancreas, brain). We are also able to re-derive models to germ-free conditions, including the 4-core genotype (4CG) mouse model, which can be used to distinguish sex hormone effects from sex chromosome effects. Contact us to make a request.
Mouse Tissue Biobank: Get access to gnotobiotic and germ-free mouse tissues from multiple body sites (e.g. gut, liver, lung, spleen, lymph nodes, heart, kidney, pancreas, brain, feces, urine, serum, peritoneal fluid, intestinal wash samples). These samples are prepared for a broad range of analysis such as RNA-Seq. Contact us to make a request.
Mouse Tissue Histological Biobank: Get access to germ-free mouse tissues from multiple body sites (e.g. gut, liver, lung, spleen, lymph nodes, heart, kidney, pancreas, brain, feces, urine, serum, peritoneal fluid, intestinal wash samples). These samples are specifically prepared for histological analysis. Contact us to make a request.
Gnotobiotic Workshop: a two day hands-on animal research workshop for researchers who want to learn how to conduct gnotobiotic and germ-free animal experiments.
Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and Research Consultation: Get access to a variety of SOPs, from experimental design to gnotobiotic intravital microscopy to in vivo and in vitro imaging. Request consultations from our experts on your experiments. Contact us to make a request.
Find the Canadian Council on Animal Care‘s guidelines for research involving mice here.
Contact us if you don’t have access to these publications.
McCoy et al. 2017. Gut Microbiome Standardization in Control and Experimental Mice. Curr Protoc Immunol. 117(1): 23-1.
Liew & Kubes. 2015. Intravital Imaging – Dynamic Insights into Natural Killer T Cell Biology. Front Immunol. 6: 240.
Hapfelmeier et al. 2010. Reversible Microbial Colonization of Germ-Free Mice Reveals the Dynamics of IgA Immune Responses. Science. 328(5986): 1705-1709.
Smith et al. 2007. Use of Axenic Animals in Studying the Adaptation of Mammals to Their Commensal Intestinal Microbiota. Semin Immunol. 19(2): 59-69.
Cara & Kubes. 2004. Intravital Microscopy as a Tool for Studying Recruitment and Chemotaxis. In: D’Ambrosio & Sinigaglia (eds) Cell Migration in Inflammation and Immunity. Methods in Molecular Biology vol. 239: 123-131.
Macrophages (red) phagocytizing Pseudomonas aeruginosa (green)
