Q. What health standard is guaranteed for the mice delivered?
A. Murine Pathogen Free™ (MPF™). Mice at a more restrictive health standard may be delivered upon request and at additional cost.

Q. How many mice will the customer receive?
A. The customer will receive at least 4 mutant mice. In rare cases that the cryopreserved material also contains a recombinase gene, this may be reduced to 1-2 mutant mice.

Q. Can Taconic send cryopreserved materials such as sperm or embryos to the customer in lieu of live mice?
A. No. Cryopreserved materials are the property of Taconic or the Sponsor and may not be provided directly to customers.

Q. What happens if none of the mice sent are fertile?
A. Taconic cannot warranty individual mice for fertility. Mice are provided within the optimal breeding age range. Heterozygous mutants are less likely to have fertility problems compared to homozygous mice. Taconic recommends that customers consider doing at least one round of expansion by breeding the received heterozygous mice to wild type prior to intracrossing to homozygosity to reduce the chance of problems propagating the mice received. Taconic will discuss environmental and husbandry factors with the customer to determine whether there may be an external problem.

Q. What happens if the mice die in shipment?
A. Customers must inform Taconic in the event the mice die during transit or within 24 hours of receipt. Taconic will attempt to replace the shipment using mice available. Customers should unpack and inspect all shipments of mice immediately after arrival. Mice that arrive dead or in poor health should be reported within 3 days by the receiving institution. Taconic does not have control over housing and environmental conditions in recipient facilities and thus cannot be held responsible for mice that die more than 24 hours after receipt.

Q. If a customer wishes to perform a RapidEXPANSION™ package to expand a line, must they separately pay the cryorecovery package fee?
A. The price shown on the model page is due upon completion of cryorecovery. Any additional services such as a RapidEXPANSION™ are an additional service which will be billed in addition to the basic package.

Q. Can GEM Collection lines be crossbred or further modified?
A. The GEM Collection Terms of Sale permit breeding, crossbreeding and other further modifications of the model.

Q. What is the timeline to receive deliverables?
A. Once the appropriate agreement has been executed and the customer has provided a PO, the timeline is approximately 14-16 weeks until live mice are ready for shipment. Mice are provided at 6-12 weeks, which is the optimal breeding age.

Q. How long is the term of the agreement?
A. The GEM Collection Terms of Sale grant perpetual use rights to commercial customers. Any models previously distributed under an academic MTA are subject to term restrictions in that MTA.