Centre for In Vivo Modelling Service Core

At the Centre for In Vivo Modelling (CIVM), we combine advanced animal genetics and cutting-edge technologies to drive cancer research. Our multidisciplinary team specialises in the generation and maintenance of genetically engineered mouse models (GEMMs), humanised mouse strains, and patient-derived models (xenografts and organoids), using innovations such as CRISPR gene editing, embryo manipulation, and in vivo genetic screening. We develop and cryopreserve new cancer models that closely replicate human disease, supporting translational studies that inform effective therapies. Our approach integrates rigorous scientific standards, ethical oversight, and collaborative expertise, aiming to accelerate progress in understanding cancer biology and developing better treatments for patients.

Our Centre is dedicated to driving innovation and excellence in cancer research through advanced in vivo modelling. We work in close collaboration with the ICR researchers and clinicians at The Royal Marsden to generate genetically engineered mouse models (GEMMs) and patient-derived models, such as patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) and patient-derived organoids (PDOs) to interrogate cancer biology in its own ecosystem. By leveraging these sophisticated in vivo systems, the Centre aims to:

  • Develop innovative cancer models in collaboration with ICR researchers to advance cancer research and drug discovery.
  • Work in partnership with The Royal Marsden Hospital to obtain patient samples and generate new patient-derived cancer models for translational studies.
  • Foster close interdisciplinary collaboration with drug discovery teams to leverage these in vivo models in the creation and testing of next-generation anti-cancer therapies.
  • Continuously improve the sophistication and relevance of our cancer models, ensuring they more faithfully recapitulate the complexity of human disease and enhance the translational impact of our research.

 

Our services

Advantages of cryopreserving your strains:

  • Allows you to save space, by getting the mice you need, when you need;
  • Reduces your animal costs;
  • Reduces animal use;
  • Reduces risk from disasters (e.g. disease outbreaks, breeding cessation, equipment failures, genetic contamination, natural disasters, etc…).

 What can be cryopreserved?

  • Mouse Sperm
  • Mouse Embryos
  • Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells
  • Mouse Oocytes

 Sperm Cryopreservation:

Description: Sperm is retrieved from the epididymal tissues of 3 male mice and is cryopreserved in 20 to 30 straws that are stored in liquid-phase, liquid nitrogen across two tanks in two separate locations (SRD and CCDD), to ensure sample safety and mitigate risks associated to unexpected or uncontrollable events.

Material needed: 3 males, reproductively active, 12-25 weeks old

Timeline: 2-6 weeks (dependant on QC method of choice)

Considerations: this method of cryopreservation is rapid and cheap; however, it only preserves half of the genome. This method is only recommended for single mutations on a common inbred background.

Quality Control: we provide different levels of Quality Control (QC) for different price ranges.

  1. Test thaw QC: we will thaw 1 straw the day after cryopreservation and visually assess motility and viability of the recovered sperm
  2. IVF and culture to blastocyst QC: we highly recommend this QC step. In addition to test thaw, we will also perform IVF and culture embryos up to blastocyst stage. We will provide the investigator with a fertility rate (%) for the recovered sperm. We will charge an extra cost to cover the IVF procedure.
  3. IVF and embryo transfer QC: In addition to test thaw, we will perform IVF and transfer 2-cell embryos into up to 3 pseudopregnant females to generate viable embryos/live pups. We will charge an extra cost to cover the IVF and embryo transfer procedures.

    Please note that we require you to provide your genotyping protocol, as well as full detail of the genetic content of each strain that you submit for cryopreservation.

Diagram of Sperm Cryopreservation

Embryo Cryopreservation:

Description: Female mice are hormonally superovulated and oocytes are retrieved for in vitro fertilisation (IVF) with sperm from donor male. Resulting embryos are placed in cryoprotectant and loaded into multiple straws, which are gradually cooled and stored in liquid-phase liquid nitrogen in two separate tanks.

Material needed: Donor male and 8-10 donor females

Timeline: 12-15 weeks

Diagram of Embryo Cryopreservation

Embryonic Stem Cells Cryopreservation:

Not available, yet.

Oocyte Cryopreservation:

Not available, yet.

Cryostorage:

If you have cryopreserved mouse sperm/embryo/oocytes at another institution, we can cryostorage your samples for an annual fee. We do require that the investigator takes charge of shipping costs into our facility, and that thawing and genotyping protocols are submitted to the CIVM.

The CIVM stores all samples in liquid-phase liquid nitrogen tanks (CryoPlus1, ThermoFisher Scientific). Material retrieved from each strain is split between 2 tanks, a main and a backup tank, for redundancy. For additional safety, these 2 tanks are located in two separate buildings at ICR Sutton. Both tanks are continuously monitored by T-scan alarm systems and undergo annual service, as well as daily visual inspections.

 

Sperm Cryorecovery:

Description: Frozen sperm is cryorecovered by IVF, followed by embryo transfer. We can purchase wild-type female oocyte donors of the same genetic background, or alternatively the investigator can provide homozygous oocyte donors of the same strain.

Material needed: straw with frozen sperm and 8 to 12 females for IVF, 7-16 weeks old.

Timeline: 12-15 weeks

Diagram of Sperm Cryorecovery

 

Embryo Cryorecovery:

Description: Frozen 2-cell embryos are thawed and transferred into pseudopregnant females.

Material needed: straw(s) with frozen 2-cell embryos

Timeline: 8-10 week


Oocyte Cryorecovery:

Not available, yet.

 

Mouse rederivation

Description: Mouse rederivation is a process used to produce pathogen-free mouse colonies by removing microbial contaminants from existing lines. The procedure can be performed either through natural mating or in vitro fertilization (IVF):

  • In natural mating, embryos are obtained from donor mice and transferred into pathogen-free recipient females.
  • In IVF-based rederivation, fertilized embryos are created in vitro using gametes from donor mice and then implanted into clean recipient females.

Both methods effectively eliminate pathogens, allowing safe importation of mouse strains from lower health-status facilities into the ICR BSU. Samples from both litter and recipient mother will be sent for Health Screening and the associated costs will be charged separately to the Investigator.

Material needed: For IVF-based rederivation we require the investigator to provide 2 males, reproductively active, 12-25 weeks old, and the CIVM will purchase wild-type female egg-donors. Alternatively, if maintaining homozygosity is essential, the investigator will need to provide additional 6-10 females, 7-16 weeks old.

Timeline: 12-15 week

Mouse Rederivation Mating Diagram

Mouse Rederivation IVF diagram

We are currently setting up CRISPR/Cas9-based gene editing protocols. Soon, you’ll be able to apply for projects that involve developing new alleles based on:

  • Knockout by indel formation
  • Knockout by precise deletion
  • Conditional knockout
  • Knock-in of point mutations
  • Knock-in of small tags
  • Large knock-in
  • Exon replacement

These alleles will be developed based on Electroporation of Microinjection of CRISPR/Cas9 system reagents.

We will collaborate with you to design the best strategy and help you generate the genetically engineered mice you need for your project. 

We also provide:

  • Development of humanised mouse strains
  • Development of Patient-derived xenografts (PDX) and organoid models

Latest ICR News

19/12/25

Researchers from The Institute of Cancer Research, London, will contribute to a £13.7 million research consortium aimed at developing new brain tumour treatments, following an announcement by the NIHR today.

The funding will establish the NIHR Brain Tumour Research Consortium. The consortium is a national partnership uniting hospitals, universities, cancer centres and charities along with patients. This is a coordinated UK-wide effort to transform outcomes for people living with brain tumours and their families.

Professor Juanita Lopez, from The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust and The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR), will lead the Consortium. Professor Darren Hargrave of Great Ormond Street Hospital and the UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health is a co-lead. Dr Richard Mair from the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute at the University of Cambridge and Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, is also a co-lead.

Finding new treatments for brain tumours

The researchers will develop and enhance innovative clinical trials. These will focus on new and emerging treatments through precision medicine – where treatments are tailored to an individual's tumour. In future, the consortium team hopes to expand into new areas such as radiotherapy techniques, and gene therapies, which modify a person's DNA to tackle cancer, and immunotherapies, which use the immune system against the cancer. This will create stronger evidence to support future NHS access if treatments prove safe and effective and improve health outcomes.

Today’s announcement from the NIHR will be followed by further funding into brain tumour treatment trials in early 2026, delivered through the consortium. The consortium will complement research funded and delivered by other funders beyond the NIHR, including the Medical Research Council and UK Research and Innovation.

Brain tumours are among the toughest cancers to treat. This world-leading consortium will help doctors and researchers understand the disease better, test new innovative treatments earlier, and make trials available to more adults and children closer to home.

The consortium will also support the development of the next generation of leaders in brain tumour research. This strengthens the UK as a key location for evaluating brain tumour treatments, both now and for the future.

Rapidly taking brain tumour discoveries into clinical trials

Professor Juanita Lopez, Consultant Medical Oncologist at The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust and Group Leader at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, said:

"I am really excited for this transformational opportunity to build a contemporary, coordinated, national collaboration that will allow the best of science to be taken forward rapidly into clinical trials, and accelerate new drugs all the way to registration for patient benefit."

Minister for Public Health and Prevention, Ashley Dalton, said:

"Brain tumours devastate lives, and for too long we haven't had the right tools to tackle them effectively. 

"By bringing together our brilliant researchers, NHS teams, charities and patients, we're taking a major step forward in our mission to create an NHS Fit for the Future and ensure fewer lives are lost to the biggest killers. This consortium will help us better understand brain tumours, treat more effectively, and ultimately save lives. 

"Everyone deserves the chance to live well for longer, and this research investment is part of our commitment to building a fairer, healthier country."

Professor Lucy Chappell, Chief Scientific Adviser at the Department of Health and Social Care, and NIHR CEO, said: 

"Brain tumours are one of the most difficult cancers to treat with thousands of people diagnosed each year. This new funding aims to shift the dial in brain tumour research, accelerating the UK towards more life-changing treatments for adults and children with this deadly disease.

"This vital partnership brings together some of the UK’s best scientists, health and care professionals, charities and patients to improve lives through cutting-edge research. It demonstrates how NIHR is driving life-changing research for the health of our society, and ensuring more people can be part of research including those from underserved communities."

Improving brain tumour survival rates

There are 13,000 new brain, other central nervous system (CNS) and intracranial tumour cases in the UK every year. They are the eighth most common cancer in the UK, accounting for 3 per cent of all new cancer cases. 

The new consortium will address five challenges contributing to the current lack of new and effective therapies:

  • Large amounts of variation. There are more than 100 brain cancer types and even patients with the same type can be affected differently.
  • The limited number of new drugs available for testing.
  • Insufficient research facilities, research leaders and research staff.
  • Shortcomings in planning and execution of research studies.
  • Lack of consistent and dedicated support for brain cancer research.

The partnership has the potential to shift the dial and position the UK as a leading location for brain tumour treatment research. Its activities will include:

  • Enrolling patients to a ‘real world’ study tracking their progress in everyday medical settings. Then they will be matched to new clinical trials based on their cancer subtype.
  • Developing pioneering new clinical trials. This includes platform trials. This will test interventions including targeted precision medicines, radiotherapy technologies, immunotherapies, and novel gene therapies.
  • Developing new training programmes for those working in brain cancer research to build capacity. This will increase skills among the next generation of researchers.
  • Partnering with patients to ensure the patient’s voice is heard.

This article was adapted from a piece on the NIHR website. Read the NIHR article in full here.