The MMRRC is a national network of four breeding and distribution facilities and an Informatics, Coordination and Service Center (ICSC) that serve together as the nation’s premier public repository of spontaneous and induced mutant mouse and cell lines. The MMRRC accepts, archives, and distributes scientifically valuable, genetically altered mouse strains, embryonic stem (ES) cell lines, and hybridomas submitted by individual research scientists. The MMRRC is supported by the Division of Comparative Medicine, Office of Research Infrastructure Programs, National Institutes of Health (DCM/ORIP/NIH).

The MMRRC is committed to upholding the highest standards of experimental design and quality control to optimize the rigor, reliability, and reproducibility of research studies using mutant mice. Specific quality control and assurance testing are in place to ensure the identity, viability, genetics, and health of mice maintained by the MMRRC.

The MMRRC maintains strains of mice in a cryopreserved state unless demand warrants an establishment of a live colony. The centers supply live mice from production breeding colonies, recovery from the cryopreserved archive, or via microinjection of an ES cell line. For detailed information on repository costs, please visit our Fees page.

In addition, MMRRC staff conduct research and development of new technologies to improve the handling, management, creation, and study of mutant mice, including advances in assisted reproductive techniques, cryobiology, genetic analysis, phenotyping and infectious disease diagnostics.

As a Requesting Investigator:

• Access to unique mouse models not available elsewhere
• Healthy, viable, specific pathogen free (SPF) mice
• QC procedures to ensure genotype and genetic background of mice

As a Submitting Investigator:

• Fulfills your NIH obligation to share biomedical research resources (if applicable)
• Reduces use of your limited vivarium resources
• Eliminates your per diem costs
• Creates a protected and viable cryopreserved archive of your mouse strain
• Saves you time and money by responding to requests for your mouse strain
• A one-time, no charge access to either live mice (if available) or one aliquot cryopreserved sperm or embryos (as supplies allow) for each mouse strain you submit to the MMRRC within one year of submission. Note: You will need to pay shipping costs
• The only cost to you is for shipping mice or relevant materials to the assigned MMRRC repository (type I and II submissions only)

Functioning as a consortium of individual Centers, the MMRRC comprises an Informatics, Coordination and Service Center (ICSC) and four regional distribution archive facilities. They are:

• The Jackson Laboratory
• University of California, Davis
• University of Missouri
• University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
• University of California, Davis ICSC

The MMRRC's Coordinating Committee consists of the five grantee PIs which meet regularly to implement policy and direction for MMRRC operations, review mouse strain submission applications, assign accepted mouse strains to individual Centers, discuss research and development projects, and address other issues relevant to the MMRRC Program. The Coordinating Committee utilizes an Advisory Panel of unaffiliated scientific and technical experts for additional input on operations and actions of the MMRRC Program.