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Updated: Feb 20, 2026
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Generation of Genetically Modified Mice through the Microinjection of Oocytes
Published on: June 15, 2017
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Non-invasive ovulation tracking enables genetic engineering in wild rodents.
Joanna Buchthal1, Emma J Chory2, Zachary Hill3
1Media Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Mice Against Ticks, Lincoln, MA 01773, USA.
Cell Reports Methods
|February 19, 2026
Summary
Researchers developed a low-cost camera system to track estrous cycles in rodents, enabling genetic engineering in the white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus). This technology facilitates the creation of genetically modified rodents for research and disease control, like immunizing wild populations against Lyme disease.
Area of Science:
- Rodent reproductive biology
- Genetic engineering technologies
- Disease vector research
Background:
- Genetic engineering is limited in many non-model rodents due to poor understanding of their reproductive cycles.
- The white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus) is a crucial reservoir for Lyme disease but is difficult to genetically modify.
- Developing tools for reproductive manipulation is essential for advancing rodent models and disease control strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a low-cost, camera-based estrous-tracking technology for non-model rodents.
- To enable efficient genetic engineering in Peromyscus leucopus.
- To establish Peromyscus as a viable model organism for studying reproductive senescence and developing disease control methods.
Main Methods:
- Implementation of a camera-based system for non-invasive estrous cycle monitoring.
- Development of protocols for timed ovulation, embryo manipulation (generation, cultivation, microinjection, transplantation), and developmental assessment.
- Validation of the estrous-tracking technology across different rodent species, including hamsters.
Main Results:
- Successful generation of pregnant and pseudopregnant Peromyscus leucopus via timed ovulation.
- Establishment of protocols for efficient transgenesis in Peromyscus, reporting the first engineered individuals.
- Demonstration of conserved estrous-linked behavioral tracking in other rodent species.
- Non-invasive differentiation of reproductively healthy versus declining geriatric female Peromyscus based on activity patterns.
Conclusions:
- The developed camera-based estrous-tracking technology significantly enhances the feasibility of genetic engineering in non-model rodents like Peromyscus leucopus.
- This advancement establishes Peromyscus as a valuable model organism for reproductive studies and disease vector research.
- The technology holds potential for heritably immunizing wild rodent populations against Lyme disease, offering a novel public health strategy.
