Award details

Novel transgenic technology to study development in the chick embryo

Reference	BBS/E/R/00001826
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Professor Helen Sang
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors
Institution	The Roslin Institute
Department	The Roslin Institute Department
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	3,225
Status	Completed
Type	Institute Project
Start date	01/10/2007
End date	30/09/2011
Duration	48 months

Abstract

We have developed a method for production of transgenic chickens using lentiviral vectors (McGrew et al., 2004) and have used this method to develop lines of transgenic hens synthesising therapeutic proteins as a component of egg white (Lillico et al., 2007). We now aim to develop transgenic techniques to increase the utility of the chick embryo for the study of vertebrate development. The recently described method for culture of primordial germ cells (PGCs) from chick embryos (van de Lavoir et al., 2006) has the potential to form the basis of the development of methods for genetic modification in the chick and also for studies on the cell and developmental biology of germ cell development in vertebrates. A key attribute of the cultured PGCs is that, if the culture conditions are altered, they can change status and become ES cell-like. These cells can then be used to make chimeric embryos. This feature allows analysis of genetically-modified PGCs in the developing embryo, without the time-consuming and expensive requirement to establish transgenic birds. The aim of this project is to utilise our inhouse expertise in the use of lentiviral vectors for transgenesis, transgene design and embryo manipulation to utilise the cultured PGCs for transgenesis and exemplify the use of genetically-modified PGCs in developmental studies. As this method is very new there are many ways in which it can be developed. This PhD project will involve (1) development of basic methods for transgenic manipulation (2) using GM PGCs to study transgene expression in ES cells derived from PGCs and chimeric embryos derived from the ES cells.

Summary

unavailable

Committee	Closed Committee - Genes & Developmental Biology (GDB)
Research Topics	Stem Cells, Technology and Methods Development
Research Priority	X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative	X - not in an Initiative
Funding Scheme	X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme

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