The International Society for Transgenic Technologies (ISTT) is proud to present this book entitled “Advanced Protocols for Animal Transgenesis”, edited by Shirley Pease and Thom Saunders, whose commitment and perseverance have led this initiative successfully to term. The ISTT, founded in 2006, established among its aims “to foster and encourage knowledge generation, discussion, training and education, and the diffusion of the technologies and specific research used for the genetic modification of animals, in particular those aimed at generating and/or
analysing transgenic and mutant animals as particularly useful experimental models in the biology, biomedicine and biotechnology disciplines”, as stated in the ISTT bylaws, Article 3a. According to this aim, a number of activities
were identified to achieve the objectives, including: “to publish information bulletins, abstracts, monographs, books, protocols and other specialised texts aimed at promoting knowledge generation, discussion, training and
education, and the diffusion of the technologies and specific research associated with animal transgenesis” (ISTT bylaws, Article 4c). Therefore, this book on transgenic technology represents one of the reasons why ISTT was
founded, and we all hope it will become a useful reference manual for anyone interested in the generation and the analysis of transgenic animals.
The manual, “Advanced Protocols for Animal Transgenesis”, includes chapters covering almost all current methods that can be applied to the generation and analysis of genetically modified animals. All chapters have been written and contributed by experts in their corresponding fields. Most of them are members of the ISTT. Topics range from standard and classical techniques, such as pronuclear microinjection of DNA, to more sophisticated and modern methods, such as the derivation and establishment of ES cell lines, with defined inhibitors in cell culture medium. In addition, topics that are not usually included in this type of book have been addressed in this manual, because of their relevance to the field. Such topics include global web-based resources, legal issues, colony management, shipment of mice and embryos, and the three Rs, refinement, reduction, and replacement. From the ISTT, we
hope that this book will be useful in the daily work of any Transgenic Facility or laboratory, providing information and references that help to keep us up to date in the field.
Finally, from the ISTT, we would like to specifically thank Springer, for their sincere interest and most generous support for this book. Springer and ISTT have a close, and we hope, mutually rewarding relationship. ISTT is associated with the scientific journal “Transgenic Research”, published by Springer. With this book, “Advanced Protocols for Animal Transgenesis”, presented by ISTT and published by Springer, our relationship is strengthened and we anticipate that the whole field will benefit as a result. The ISTT Council.1