Scientists to create 'frozen zoo' of mutant mice

LONDON - British scientists are heading a European project to create a vast "frozen zoo" which can supply on demand mutant mice for use in medical experiments.

Up to 20,000 embryos deliberately mutated to eliminate certain genes will be stored in the genetic library.

Scientists say laboratories will be able to select specific mutants to view the effects of different gene mixtures in studies aimed at alleviating human suffering and disease.

Allowing mutant embryos to develop normally allows scientists to compare the effect of a defective gene on health and subsequent development.

"Mice are pivotal for looking at relationships between genes and disease," said Professor Steve Brown of the Medical Research Council's Mammalian Genetics Unit.

"There are several projects to knock out every gene in the mouse genome to see what is the consequence," Brown said.

The EU has agreed to spend 13 million ($23 million) on creating the library, which should be available to researchers by 2009.

"The focus is to make mutations in almost all of the genes of the mouse. The target is about 20,000 genes," Brown said.

It will take between 50 and 100 mice to resurrect just one mutant mouse.

"Researchers from across the world will be able to call our repository and order a particular mutant."

- INDEPENDENT