The ABS provides state-of-the-art infrastructure and research enabling services to help researchers discover, develop and understand animal models of human disease

ANIMAL SERVICES:
• Breeding and maintenance of inbred, transgenic, gene-knockout, ENU-gene variant mouse and inbred rat colonies.
• Housing of other species including Zebrafish, Xenopus and Cane Toads
• Training
• Quarantine Services
• Murine Cryopreservation (through Australian Phenomics Network)

RESEARCH SERVICES:
• Genotyping and Mapping
• Phenotyping and Pathology

Contact:

Dr Edward Bertram                          Director                                              Head of Research Services           T: + 61 2 6125 1328                         F: +61 2 6125 1381                          E: Edward.Bertram@anu.edu.au

Mr Alistair Reid Associate Director Head of Animal Services T: + 61 2 6125 5529 F: + 61 2 6125 1381 E: Alistair.Reid@anu.edu.au

Animal Services:

Animal Species
The ABS provides the following animal services:
Breeding and maintenance of inbred, transgenic, gene-knockout and ENU-gene variant mouse colonies. Through the Australian Phenomics Facility the ABS produces pedigrees of ENU-gene variant mice that allow for screening of recessive gene effects (www.apf.edu.au).

The ABS house other species including:
Rat
Zebrafish
Xenopus
Cane Toads
Contact: Alistair.Reid@anu.edu.au

Training
The ABS provides competency based training for animal care staff, laboratory technicians and scientists in a wide range of procedures including restraint, injections, DNA collection, and tissue and blood collection. The ABS has developed a comprehensive set of on-line Standard Operating Procedures to ensure and maintain very high standards and consistency of operation in the facility.
For more information regarding Training please contact: Alistair.Reid@anu.edu.au

Quarantine Services
The ABS has an AQIS approved Quarantine Premise able to organise imports both domestically and internationally.
Being of a closed colony status all imported mice will be rederived via Embryo Transfer for use. Rederivation will also clear up any undesirable health status in your strain of mice. Embryos will be transferred to our Defined Flora Free (DFF) recipient mothers (our helicobacter and pasturella free colony). Health reports on this colony are available upon request.
For more information regarding Quarantine please contact Nikki.Ross@anu.edu.au.

Murine Sperm Cryopreservation & Phenome Bank
Under the banner of the Australian Phenomics Network and Australian Phenome Bank cryopreservation of murine sperm can be provided. The Australian Phenome Bank is a database accessible to all researchers. http://pb.apf.edu.au/phenbank.
For more information regarding Murine Sperm Cryopreservation & Phenome Bank please contact Stuart.Read@anu.edu.au

Research Services
Phenotyping and Pathology
The ABS has a team of dedicated, well trained and observant animal care staff along with access to state-of-the-art facilities for developing and implementing screens of mammalian body systems and analysing the effect of specific gene alterations.
The ABS access to key technologies for phenotyping including:
Advia Haemoanalyser
12 parameter flow cytometry
Clinical biochemistry Olympus AU400 autoanalyser
Bioplex
Affymetrix and spotted microarray gene expression profiling

The ABS Facility Veterinarian provides gross pathology, clinical pathology and histopathology services to further phenotype strains of interest.
The ABS has access to a network of specialists at each of the proponent institutions providing specialised expertise in phenotyping allowing evaluation of changes in key body systems.
For more information regarding Phenotyping and Genetic Pathology please contact our Facility Veterinarian Suzanne.Fowler@anu.edu.au

Genotyping and Mapping
The ABS genotyping resource provides accurate, high-throughput genotyping of mice housed within the facility. Expert staff design new project specific primers with more than 100 genotyping assays currently available. Mouse tissues are collected and processed by highly trained staff offering clients an efficient, trouble-free service. Genotyping results can be easily accessed through the ABS database.
The ABS provides space, equipment and expertise to run small or large projects to map the chromosomal location and aid in identification of the affected gene of new gene variant mouse strains obtained from the ENU gene-variant Libraries or from the Phenome Bank. The ABS offers a number of technologies and resources for mapping. For more information regarding Genotyping & Mapping please contact Belinda.Whittle@anu.edu.au