Welcome!
The mission of the Vivarium and Transgenic Core is to develop, provide, and support high-quality mouse modeling services for the VARI investigators, collaborators, and the greater research community. The VARI Vivarium is a state-of-the-art facility that includes a high containment barrier. All procedures are conducted according to the NIH Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals. The Van Andel Research Institute is AAALAC accredited. The staff provides rederivation, surgery, dissection, necropsy, breeding, weaning, tail biopsies, sperm and embryo cryopreservation, animal data management, and health-status monitoring. Transgenic mouse models are produced on request for project-specific needs.
The Vivarium and Transgenics Core is committed to the highest of quality in animal standards and care as well as strong, dedicated support to the research community. We understand how important providing excellence in animal care is to producing quality research.
Services Provided
The mission of the Vivarium and Transgenic Core is to develop, provide, and support high-quality mouse modeling services for the VARI investigators, collaborators, and the greater research community. The VARI Vivarium is a state-of-the-art facility that includes a high containment barrier. All procedures are conducted according to the NIH Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals. The Van Andel Research Institute is AAALAC accredited. The staff provides rederivation, surgery, dissection, necropsy, breeding, weaning, tail biopsies, sperm and embryo cryopreservation, animal data management, and health-status monitoring. Transgenic mouse models are produced on request for project-specific needs.
The Vivarium and Transgenics Core is committed to the highest of quality in animal standards and care as well as strong, dedicated support to the research community. We understand how important providing excellence in animal care is to producing quality research.
Services Provided
The mission of the VAI transgenic core is to provide genetically modified animal models for our collaborators in support of their research.
When these models are preexisting this provision can take the form of rederivation or reconstitution for the purpose importing mutant animals into our Vivarium’s barrier.
In the absence of preexisting models our core works closely with partnering labs to generate their ideal mutation de novo, often using CRISPR technology. Usually beginning with a brief consultation, this process involves discussing factors such as ideal background strain, molecular methods for optimizing the intended genetic change, mutation induction strategies, screening approaches and eventual QC of the new mutant line with the overall goal of giving our collaborators a fully informed, realistic picture of their projects timeframe, pitfalls and workflow.
Additionally, our core provides mouse and rat sperm and embryo cryopreservation services for the purpose of archiving and distributing valuable lines.
The Van Andel Institute is an AAALAC-accredited facility. All procedures are conducted according to the NIH Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals. We understand how important excellence in animal care is for producing quality research and are committed to the highest quality standards in pursuit of this principle.
Please note: The Vivarium core has moved. Please navigate to their new site for Vivarium calendars and services.
Tristan Kempston, B.S. LAT | Transgenic Core Director
Audra Guikema, B.S. LVT, LAT | Senior Labortatory Manager
| Name | Role | Phone | Location | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tristan Kempston, B.S., LAT |
Director
|
616-234-5470
|
tristan.kempston@vai.org
|
|
| Audra Guikema, B.S., LVT, LAT |
Core Laboratory Manager
|
616-234-5742
|
audra.guikema@vai.org
|
5321E
|
| Tina Schumaker, A.A., LAT |
Core Associate
|
616-234-5650
|
tina.schumaker@vai.org
|
|
| Malista Powers, A.A., LVT |
Core Associate
|
616-234-5487
|
malista.powers@vai.org
|
