This intensive lecture and laboratory course is designed for scientists interested in using mouse models to study mammalian development, stem cells and cancer. The lecture portion of the course, taught by leaders in the field, provides the conceptual basis for contemporary research in embryogenesis, organogenesis in development and disease, embryonic, adult and induced pluripotent stem cells and cancer biology.
The laboratory and workshop portions of the course provides hands-on introduction to engineering of mouse models, stem cell technologies and tissue analyses. Experimental techniques include genome editing by CRISPR/Cas9, pronuclear microinjection, isolation and culture/manipulation of pre- and post-implantation embryos, embryo transfer, embryo electroporation and roller bottle culture, chimera generation, generation and differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells as well as induced pluripotent stem cells and fibroblasts, vibratome and cryosectioning, in situ RNA hybridization, immunostaining, FACS sorting and analysis, vascular injections and casting, neural sterotaxic injections, skeletal preparation, organ explant culture and fluorescent imaging, including live time-lapse microscopy.