# The Jackson Laboratory Knockout Mouse Production and Phenotyping Project (JAX KOMP2)

> **NIH NIH UM1** · JACKSON LABORATORY · 2020 · $34,211

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT - from parent award
Mice and humans share approximately 20,000 genes. To date, little data exists for more than half of these
genes and nearly one third have no functional annotation. Because of the high degree of similarity between the
mouse and human gene set, genetic data generated in mice can often be extrapolated to human gene
function. Mouse models of genes with common functionality between mice and men can lead to new models of
human disease, which are useful for drug screening, preclinical studies and deeper understanding of biological
and disease mechanism. The goal of the Knockout Mouse Phenotyping Program (KOMP2) is to generate lines
of mice that carry knockouts (KOs) for a genome-wide collection of mouse genes and subject the mice to
broad based phenotyping. The Jackson Laboratory (JAX) proposes to merge its currently funded KOMP2
Mouse Production and Cryopreservation (U42) and Knockout Mouse Phenotyping (U54) operations as part of
RFA-RM-15-017 Limited Competition: Knockout Mouse Production and Phenotyping Project (UM1).
JAX KOMP2 proposes to use cutting-edge and cost-effective Cas9 RNA-guided nuclease (Cas9 RGN, also
called CRISPR/Cas9) technology to generate, breed, cryopreserve and phenotype1500 lines of mice during
the project period. Continued effort will be made to improve the Cas9 RGN technology so as to reduce costs,
increase targeting efficiency, and create more complex mutant alleles. Genes will be selected in coordination
with our KOMP2 and IMPC partners, and will focus on those with poor annotation, genes that have significant
community demand and integrate with other NIH-support programs, and genes predicted to function in select
pathways. To guarantee ready access to the community, we will ship mice to outside investigators while they
are alive on the shelf and deposit the lines into the Mouse Mutant Regional Resource Center (MMRRC)
repositories for future use.
Broad based phenotyping on juvenile animals up to 18 weeks of age will be performed on all 1500 lines of
mice using International Mouse Phenotyping Consortium (IMPC)-required and JAX-specific protocols. We will
assess body weight and composition, metabolic and physiological parameters, and behavioral and cognitive
function. To detect age-dependent phenotypes, we will use the same pipeline to phenotype 20% (300 total) of
the lines between 15-18 months of age. Based on data generated from the current phase of KOMP2, we
expect about 30% of lines to be non-viable. We will characterize the non-viable mutants using high-throughput
imaging modalities at three embryonic time points. All data generated from embryonic, juvenile and adult mice
will be rapidly deposited into the Data Coordination Center (DCC) that supports KOMP2 and the IMPC.
Lastly, JAX will work collaboratively with the KOMP2 Regional Network and with member organizations of the
IMPC to share protocols, innovation, and new technology and to broadly and openly disseminate our findin...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10146068
- **Project number:** 3UM1OD023222-09S2
- **Recipient organization:** JACKSON LABORATORY
- **Principal Investigator:** ROBERT E BRAUN
- **Activity code:** UM1 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $34,211
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2020-05-01 → 2021-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10146068

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10146068, The Jackson Laboratory Knockout Mouse Production and Phenotyping Project (JAX KOMP2) (3UM1OD023222-09S2). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10146068. Licensed CC0.

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