The 1999 Reginald Thomson Lecture. Custom-built mice: unique discovery tools in biomedical research.

The study of mouse genetics is a science in its own right. Currently, the mouse is the central platform for model building in biomedical research. Recombinant DNA technology and mouse transgenesis have provided an almost unlimited resource of new animals that is constantly expanding. Investigators, through their selection of the most appropriate type of mouse and by imaginative combinations of animals in breeding or culture experiments, have the opportunity for discovery of new information that will benefit the health of both humans and species of veterinary interest. Wider appreciation and use of the mouse as a discovery tool in veterinary research should be encouraged.