Cryopreservation of transgenic mouse lines.

Cryopreservation will, if used appropriately, lower maintenance costs while creating embryo or germline banks from which transgenic lines can be restored. To maximize the likelihood of restoring a transgenic line, it is best to establish that the gametes or zygotes of that strain do survive cryopreservation before all of the animals have been culled. Furthermore, it is advisable to store more than one type of material (e.g., sperm and embryos) and to ensure that the material is stored under optimal conditions (i.e., at low subzero temperatures) and never partially or wholly thawed, until it is removed for use.