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Knockout Strategy Guide

Since 1998, ingenious targeting laboratory has helped researchers design over 2,500 custom gene targeting projects. Our scientific consultants work with investigators at every career stage to identify the optimal knockout approach for their specific research questions, ensuring that model design aligns with experimental goals.

Choosing the right knockout strategy is one of the most important decisions in mouse model generation. The difference between a conventional knockout that deletes gene function globally and a conditional knockout that enables tissue specific or temporal control can determine whether your model answers your research question or produces confounding phenotypes that obscure the biology of interest. This guide walks through the key considerations for knockout strategy selection, helping you make an informed decision before committing to a project.

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Our scientific consultants are ready to discuss your research requirements and recommend the optimal approach for your program. Initial consultation is provided at no charge.

Frequently asked questions

Check the IMPC (International Mouse Phenotyping Consortium) database and published literature. If homozygous null mutations cause embryonic lethality in previous studies, a conditional approach is required. If no data exists, we recommend designing a conditional (floxed) allele that can function as a conventional knockout when crossed to germline Cre, while preserving conditional options.

Choose conventional knockout if the gene is not essential for development, you want global deletion, and you don't need tissue specific control. Choose conditional knockout if the gene causes embryonic lethality, you need tissue specific deletion, or you anticipate studying gene function in multiple tissues.

If the knockout was generated using a knockout-first allele design, yes. Flp recombinase converts it to a conditional-ready allele. If the knockout was generated by simple exon deletion without the cassette system, a new conditional targeting project would be required.

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