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The mouse sperm cryopreservation unit

The cryopreservation unit was established two years ago. Since then, all the listed below services have been implemented, and are routinely used with high success rate, for the benefit of Tel-Aviv university researchers.

Currently, this unit is comprised of two autonomous laboratories. One at the SPF animal care facility; and one at the Medical Research building (“conventional lab”), which handles mice at non-SPF conditions, thus allowing introducing species from various sources (other academic institute/companies). Both labs are equipped with the devices and instruments designated for sperm and embryos cryopreservation, in-vitro fertilization (IVF) and embryo transfer.

Available services:

a. Sperm cryopreservation and species rejuvenation. Rejuvenation is performed with frozen sperm, cryopreserved either by the unit or by other facilities (in Israel or abroad).

b. Re-derivation – fresh or frozen sperm from mice outside of the SPF animal care facility (either from in or out of campus) is used for IVF at the conventional lab. Embryos are transferred to the SPF lab in a portable incubator, commonly used in human IVF, where they are implanted into the oviducts of foster mothers (an alternative method to delivering pups at cesarean section and keeping them in quarantine).

c. Personalized projects, performed by the unit’s staff, using the unit’s equipment and facilities. For example - gametes extraction, pregnancy follow-up by ultrasound, etc.