Cyagen Biosciences

Cyagen Biosciences would like to invite you to our Animal Models and VectorBuilder-Related Seminar at University of Surrey, UK on Feb 14, 2018. Presentation #1: Advanced Technologies For Rapid Generation Of Custom-Designed Animal Models Cyagen is the world’s leading provider of custom-designed transgenic mice and rats offering a one-stop solution to all your animal needs. To date, we have delivered over 16,000 animal models. In this seminar, Dr Matthew Wheeler will provide an overview of the current State-of-the-art as well as draw on my own experience to give an overview of our technologies including: PiggyBac transgenic mice and rats - Single copy transgene integration  TurboKnockout ® - Conditional KO/KI mice in 6-8 months  CRISPR -mediated genome editing – Knockouts/knockins (Up to 8Kb) Presentation #2: VectorBuilder - Revolutionising Vector Design and Custom Cloning VectorBuilder is a revolutionary new online tool that not only allows you to create your custom vector

Although humans and mice are separated by 100 million years of evolution, mouse and rat models have continually proven themselves as extremely powerful research tools. Many mouse and rat genetic models can even recapitulate complex and seemingly uniquely human phenotypes. A great example are mouse models of autism spectrum disorders (ASD), which display many of the hallmark features of human ASD, including deficits in social communication and recognition, heightened anxiety, repetetive behavior, and hyperactivity. Recent work from several groups has taken advantage of ASD models to study autism and even develop potential treatments. Male-specific autism phenotypes in mice A striking feature of ASD is that more than 75% of diagnosed children are male. Although the reason for this sex-specific disparity is unknown, rodent models are beginningg to shed light on this aspect of the disorder. Using a contactin-associated protein-like 2 (Cntnap2) knockout mouse model for ASD, a group at th

Cyagen Biosciences and VectorBuilder would like to invite you to stop by our show at MD Anderson Science Park in Smithville, TX on Jan 9, 2018. Our territory manager Dr. Heather Lundie will be present to answer any questions you might have about our mouse model generation services ,  vector construction services , virus packaging services , BAC modification services , or anything else at all including our free web based vector design platform, VectorBuilder.com. The event details are as follows: Tuesday, Jan 9 MD Anderson Science Park 1808 Park Rd 1C Smithville, TX 78957 As a special thank you to all those researchers who make events like this one possible, please enjoy $50 off your next purchase of vectors, virus packaging, and cloning services at VectorBuilder.com! Promo Code: 50EMAIL

Loss-of-function screening using shRNA libraries is a powerful way to identify genes involved in almost any biological process. Over the past decade, shRNA screens, both in vivo and in cell culture systems, have generated many important discoveries. Knockdown screening has become a go-to ‘workhorse’ method for lead identification and gene network studies across many fields of biology. Whole-genome knockdown libraries are frequently used, as well as smaller libraries targeting subsets of genes, such as specific pathways or key biological regulators. Here are a few examples of major shRNA screening discoveries from the past few years: Peroxisomes have a role in cholesterol transport It has long been known that cholesterol undergoes intracellular transport, but the mechanism underlying this process remained unknown. Chu et al. developed an amphotericin B-based assay for impaired LDL-transport, and used it in a genome-wide, lentivirus-based shRNA screen (1). They found that knockdown of

The nervous system presents several unique challenges that make it a difficult system to study experimentally. At a structural level, the brain has a complexity that is orders of magnitude greater than other organs, and even the peripheral nervous system is profoundly complex. At a cellular level, neurons and accessory cells have extreme morphologies, physiological properties, and sensitivities that make them challenging to manipulate experimentally. In addition to these difficulties, the brain is also protected by the so-called blood-brain-barrier (BBB). The endothelial cells forming the vessels of the brain are highly selective in regulating passage into the cerebrospinal fluid, preventing the entry of viruses and bacteria, while regulating the transport of hormones, ions, drugs, and other molecules. The BBB hampers the effectiveness of many in vivo experimental techniques. For example, most drugs and viral vectors delivered into the blood cannot effectively cross the BBB and infi

Macrophages are the first line of defense against infections, playing important roles in consuming pathogens and in regulating inflammation. In general, these functions help maintain a healthy organism, keeping infections at bay and promoting healing. However, it is now well known that inflammation is associated with cancer progression, and that the presence of macrophages within a tumor often correlates with poor prognosis (1). But, the relationship between inflammation and cancer progression is poorly understood, and much is still unknown about how macrophages may contribute to tumor growth or metastasis. Using in vivo animal models of melanoma invasion, a new study has uncovered a surprising way that macrophages may be affecting cancer cells. Using zebrafish and mouse models, high-resolution imaging, and an elegant Cre/Lox fluorescent reporter strategy, Roh-Johnson et al. discovered that macrophages actually exchange cytoplasm with melanoma cells in live animals (2). They observed

Either shRNA-mediated knockdown or nuclease-mediated knockout (e.g. CRISPR or TALEN) can be valuable experimental approach to study the loss-of-function effects of a gene of interest in cell culture. In order to decide which method is optimal for your specific application, there are a few things you should consider. Mechanisms Knockdown vectors: Knockdown vectors express short hairpin RNAs (shRNAs) that repress the function of target mRNAs within the cell by inducing their cleavage and repressing their translation. Therefore, shRNA knockdown vectors are not associated with any DNA level sequence change of the gene of interest. Knockout vectors: CRISPR and TALEN both function by directing nucleases to cut specific target sites in the genome. These cuts are then inefficiently repaired by the cellular machinery, resulting in permanent mutations, such as small insertions or deletions, at the sites of repair. A subset of these mutations will result in loss of function of the gene