Positive-negative Selection: The counterselection breakthrough that conventionalized reverse genetics in the mouse

Mario Capecchi, 2007 Nobel Laureate and Distinguished Professor of Human Genetics at the University of Utah School of Medicine, was instrumental in establishing the mouse as the premier reverse genetic model for studying mammalian development. The Capecchi lab's innovative research, which combined studies of homologous recombination and mammalian embryo manipulation, changed the trajectory of experimental developmental biology. Crucial in the field was the breakthrough study of Suzanne Mansour, Kirk Thomas, and Mario Capecchi: Disruption of the proto-oncogene int-2 in mouse embryo-derived stem cells: a general strategy for targeting mutations to non-selectable genes (Mansour et al., 1988). Published in Nature in 1988, the manuscript which describes positive-negative selection strategies for gene knockout has been cited close to 2500 times. The impact of the work was to revolutionize mouse genetics by enabling the efficient creation of targeted mutations and sophisticated animal models for the analysis of any gene's function in mammalian development and health. These models have been integral to our understanding of fundamental biological processes and disease mechanisms.