The Specialized Animal Resources Core

ABSTRACT The Specialized Animal Resources Core The purpose of the Specialized Animal Resources Core is to enhance the capabilities of individual investigators to conduct vision-related research, including generation and characterization of genetically-modified animals. The Specific Aims of the Specialized Animal Resources Core are as follows: 1) to maintain and breed genetically- modified mouse lines for VSRC investigators; 2) to provide investigators with real time colony management data so they can plan and conduct experiments accordingly; 3) to closely work with the Manager of the Molecular Biology and Genotyping Core to ensure a timely genotyping of the generated mouse lines; 4) to help investigators assess retinal structure and visual function using noninvasive methods while animals are alive, and 5) to promote collaborations among vision science researchers by providing access to state-of-the art equipment and expertise. The Core’s resources along with highly experienced personnel will enable individual investigators to generate genetically modified mouse lines faster and in a cost-efficient manner. The Core will also provide investigators with a thorough understanding of the mouse ocular phenotypes caused by specific mutations and the underlying molecular processes.