Cryopreservation - Embryo and Sperm
About
- Maintaining mouse colonies can be both costly and time-consuming.
- Cryopreservation—either sperm or embryo freezing—offers an efficient alternative to continuous breeding for preserving lines not currently in use.
- It also serves as a valuable backup in case a colony becomes compromised due to pathogens, fertility issues, or genetic drift.
- When considering cryopreservation of sperm or embryos for a specific strain, see our Cryopreservation comparison table below.
Pricing
See the Pricing and Grants page for these details, including additional costs based on your scenario.
| Sperm cryopreservation Inclusions | Embryo cryopreservation Inclusions |
|---|---|
| Administration and ethics reporting where required | Superovulation of female mice |
| Up to 3 males where epididymis is pooled | IVF |
| Collection and sperm analysis | Embryo culture |
| Freezing sperm and IVF test thaw | Embryo freezing |
| A test thaw fee is applicable for each round of freezing | Test thaws. |
| Additional charges apply to pool males serperately. |
Get started
1. Contact us to discuss
2. If applicable obtain the health reports from the holding facility wgere dibir nuce reside (if applicable)
3. Complete our online form Request to Cryopreserve.
We will review the health reports, liaise with your animal facility manager and arrange shipping to the UQ animal facility. We will notify you of the planned start date.
Timelines
Sperm cryopreservation
Week 1 - Mice are shipped to UQ, sperm collection and analysis, sperm freezing is completed.
Weeks 2-3 - IVF Test Thaw and analysis, client notified of test thaw results once IVF is completed at the next available timeslot.
Required animals
Sperm is collected from a minimum of 3 males from the same strain. This means that the males are sacrificed for the collection of their sperm. The sperm will be pooled unless specifically advised from the client. The males supplied must be over 8 weeks of age, proven fertility is preferred but not necessary.
Embryo production is influenced by several factors —including female age, strain background, and male fertility. As a result, it is not possible to precisely predict the number of embryos produced per female.
- Females aged 3 to 16 weeks are preferred, as they respond more effectively to superovulation protocols and typically produce more viable eggs. This can help minimise the total number of females needed.
- A minimum of 20 females is required to initiate the process. If the target number of embryos is not achieved from the initial cohort, we will consult with you. Wild-type females can be sourced and purchased on the client's behalf.
- While males with proven fertility are preferred, they are not essential. A minimum of three males is required.
- Optimal stud age is between 2 and 6 months, though ex-breeders may also be used.
- If sufficient animals are not available, an alternative approach may be necessary.
Additional information
- We will progress once the online request form is received
- We will freeze all viable embryos and sperm collected
- Embryos will be cryopreserved at the 4-8 cell stage using rapid cooling techniques and across 2 separate cryopreservation vessels/sites
- The number of embryos stored is determined by the mating strategy used to produce embryos
- Homozygous X Homozygous = 250 embryos- all re-derived progeny will be homozygous
- Homozygous X Het or Wild type = 250 embryos- re-derived progeny will have varying genotype and require genotyping
- Heterozygous X Heterozygous = 300 embryos- re-derived progeny will have varying genotype and require genotyping
- Heterozygous X Wild type = 500 embryos- re-derived progeny will have varying genotype and require genotyping
- We will schedule runs at the available timeslot - Including IVF runs until all females supplied have been used, we will notify you of viable embryo numbers frozen to confirm any further instructions based on the number obtained. Where additional females are required to increase embryo numbers we will request a further shipment of females.
- We will perform one test thaw of one straw and notify you of the outcome. Embryo test thaws involve thawing, culturing the embryos to assess viability, transfer cultured embryos to a pseudopregnant female to assess live birth viability.
- We cannot guarantee strain viability after freezing, or that 100% of embryo transfers will result in live births, nor the ability for all strains to tolerate the freeze/thaw procedure.
- We will notify you and request in writing if euthanasia of honor and stud stock can proceed
- Clients must not cull original colony stock until discussion with TASQ after completion of the service
- A current AEC certificate and OGTR number must be supplied, renewals or modifications must be submitted to TASQ
- All strains cryopreserved remain the property of the client and will not be distributed without the permission of the client.