Gene editing for a cure

Researchers at the University of Missouri are discovering solutions to all sorts of problems, including finding effective disease treatments and therapies that will increase the quality of life for humans with those conditions.

An important aspect of this type of life-changing research is testing therapies on animals that have the disease or genetic mutation the researchers are targeting. This is where the Animal Modeling Core comes in.

The Animal Modeling Core (AMC) is a comprehensive research facility that provides all the expertise required to make genetically engineered animals. The AMC’s essential services are associated with the generation and characterization of genetically engineered animals and other research tools that can be used to understand gene function, basic biology and human disease.  

Elizabeth Bryda, professor of veterinary pathobiology, studies disease-causing genes and disease variants and their protein products and serves as director of the AMC.

“As successful researchers ourselves, we are very knowledgeable about the use of animals in research and we’re excited to provide quality, affordable support to MU investigators to develop the best animal models and in vivo testing systems to facilitate their studies,” Bryda says.   

What can the AMC help researchers with?
We use cutting-edge technologies to generate mice and rats that carry genetic alterations of interest, including animals that carry human patient disease-associated mutations. We assist with the genetic and phenotypic characterization of animal models as well as provide colony management services for investigators. We can also perform in vivo studies in a variety of animal species, including testing dietary supplements, evaluating new therapies, etc.

Which disciplines can use the AMC?
Our services benefit every sector of the scientific community and can be used by investigators in any discipline, ranging from neuroscience to cardiovascular research to therapeutics development.

What sets Mizzou’s AMC apart from other campuses and research centers?
Because of our unique partnership with the Rat Resource and Research Center and the Mutant Mouse Resource and Research Center, we provide comprehensive rodent modeling services not readily available elsewhere. 

We are one of the most successful transgenic cores in the country and one of the only places in the world with established success at efficiently making genetically engineered rats. Because of this, we serve not only MU investigators, but we provide services for external users, including commercial clients who hire us to do contract work. 

What types of diseases has the AMC been used to study?
We have generated and characterized a variety of animal models to study diseases, including polycystic kidney disease, hereditary deafness, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, cardiovascular disease and inflammatory bowel disease.

Christian Lorson, professor of veterinary pathobiology and molecular microbiology, uses the core to study SMARD1, a serious spinal and respiratory condition that affects infants. Bing Zhang, professor of biological sciences, created DNA constructs built to generate transgenic fly models for epilepsy studies.

How does the AMC fit into the Next Gen Precision Health Initiative?
Genome editing has allowed us to create rodent models that carry rare human genetic alterations to validate these disease-causing mutations and generate animal models that can facilitate personalized medicine interventions.

If a researcher is interested in using the facility, what’s the next step?
We provide free consultation to investigators who are using animal models in their research, and we can serve as collaborators on grants involving animal work. Visit our website and/or contact Daniel Davis (assistant director) or Elizabeth Bryda (director) directly.