D. Wade Walke

GENERATION OF TRANSGENIC ANIMALS

The development of molecular biological tools for mutant-mouse production signaled the new era of contemporary mammalian genetics. Recent technology advances coupled with completed sequence of the mouse and human genomes are converging synergistically such that todays scientists are exploring their fields of interest in arguably the most productive period for research and discovery of modern biological science. Scientists can now take advantage of an unprecedented ability to manipulate the mouse genome using versatile techniques that afford both custom genetic alteration and random mutagenesis approaches. Together, these strategies can be employed to quickly and comprehensively saturate the genome with a high percentage of gene coverage. Productivity estimates of the leading commercial biotechnology groups that have knockout mouse production and analysis capabilities, together with published knockout reports, suggest that roughly one-fourth of the approximate 25,000 genes in the mouse genome have been knocked out and studied to varying degrees. The international mouse-genomics community has recently begun an initiative to produce knockout alleles for all mouse genes and to develop a system for open access to data and reagents for the broader scientific community. Clearly we can look forward to an escalation of discovery productivity in the upcoming years. It will be even more exciting to track how mouse gene-function discoveries will drive the drug discovery industrys efforts to develop the next generation of therapies for human disease.