Sigma® Life Science collaborates with The Jackson Laboratory for distribution of genetically engineered mice

Sigma Life Science, the innovative biological products and services business of Sigma-Aldrich® (Nasdaq:SIAL), and The Jackson Laboratory (JAX), a not-for-profit genetics research institution and the world’s premier repository for genetically engineered mice, today announced a joint agreement allowing JAX to distribute mouse models created using Sigma Life Science’s proprietary zinc finger nuclease (ZFN) technology.

ZFN technology allows transgenic mice to be made in a third of the time previously required and has led to a significant increase in the number of models being produced, generating a need for key distributors to provide access to this new set of animals. As the leader in mouse genetics, JAX currently has over 5,000 mouse models available to the scientific community, and this arrangement is expected to extend the collection by enabling researchers to donate ZFN-enabled mouse models to JAX for archiving and distribution.

“Sigma recognizes the need for making certain animal models created with this great technology commercially available, enabling researchers to promote the science while protecting our intellectual property,” said Dr. Edward Weinstein, Director of SAGE Labs at Sigma Life Science. “This agreement helps to make that possible, exemplifying the Sigma Life Science message ‘where bio begins’ and building on the activities of our SAGE Labs division.”

The agreement is also expected to enable customers to focus more time and resources on their research, avoiding the burden of maintaining mouse colonies for the wider scientific community while still fulfilling government funding obligations. It also increases the scope of the powerful CompoZr technology for creation of knockout organisms, and complements the SAGE™ Labs collection of knockout rat models.

“The Jackson Laboratory is pleased to be able to distribute mice created using the ZFN technology to the research community worldwide,” added Dr. Michael V. Wiles, Senior Director of Technology Evaluation and Development at The Jackson Laboratory. “This novel approach represents a quantum leap in genetic engineering and is expected to enable researchers to develop precise mouse models without the need of ES cells, and to advance the understanding of human disease and improve the human condition.”

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