The MRC-Harwell frozen embryo and sperm archive is a key partner in a worldwide network of mouse strain repositories that collectively distribute thousands of novel mouse strains to the biomedical community each year. The impact of this public service cannot be over-stated. Well-resourced repositories are absolutely key to the continued global use of the mouse as a model of genetic diseases in humans. This service provides access to essential services and expertise that facilitate rapid archiving and distribution of unique mouse strains. In addition, this repository distributes genetically defined, QC verified mice which helps to minimise the problem of irreproducibility of experimental data.

The only effective treatment for infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the cause of AIDS, is a combination of three anti-HIV drugs taken for the rest of the infected person‘s lifetime. Of the 40 million people infected worldwide, the vast majority have no access to these drugs. We are exploring alternative ways of keeping HIV in check without continuous drug treatment. Using a vaccine to boost the body‘s immune defences against the virus is one possible strategy. We are currently testing vaccines in HIV-positive people who are already stabilised on anti-HIV drugs as this should give the vaccines the best chance to work. However, it is necessary to stop the patient‘s treatment temporarily, while carefully monitoring the amount of virus in his / her bloodstream, in order to assess whether the vaccine has had a beneficial effect. If this approach shows promise in initial trials, we would aim to improve it so that it can be used on a large scale, as this could ultimately be significantly less costly and harmful than long-term drug treatment, and therefore a realistic possibility for people in urgent need.

One of the most important tools at our scientific disposal in understanding mammalian gene function is the laboratory mouse. The fundamental genetic similarity between mice and humans allows researchers to infer a human gene's function based on studies with laboratory mice. One powerful technique is to turn off, or "knockout", the activity of a mouse gene to assess what biological systems are impacted. This gives insights how a similar gene in humans may contribute to disease when its activity is altered.

The welfare of animals is the top priority of scientists working with them. Mice are the most commonly used species in scientific research, with almost 3 million used last year alone. To give some perspective, over ten times fewer rats were included in tests over the same time period. Unsurprisingly then, a considerable amount of research has focussed on how to improve conditions for mice used in research. At present, Home Office guidelines require that mice are checked daily by trained animal care teams. Those teams assess whether the mice look healthy and happy and will intervene if there are any signs of a problem. Unfortunately, mice are a prey species and, because of this, they try to hide visible signs of injury/illness. This means that simply looking at the mice is not the best way to assess their welfare. However, mice are known to vocalise about issues such as illness and pain before they show visible signs. Most mouse vocalisations go unheard by humans as they are ultrasonic. I will use specialised equipment to record vocalisations and record what the mouse is doing while vocalising in the cage the mouse is housed in. I will then match vocalisations with particular behaviours in order to find out what the mice are 'saying'. To ensure that the research is beneficial for welfare, I will focus on identifying vocalisations associated with potential welfare concerns, such as pain or aggression. Thousands of mice are lost each year because of fights between animals that are housed together in the same cage, and thousands more hide signs of illness, preventing treatment until a later stage. This research aims to decrease the distress felt by animals and enable earlier interventions to maximise welfare. As part of the research I will develop a large repository of information about which vocalisations are associated with a given behaviour. This will be used by researchers to examine what mouse vocalisations and/or behaviours mean for welfare and will enable them to intervene as necessary. I hope that this research will eventually lead to the development of a welfare tool that automatically translates mouse vocalisations into information about behaviours and presents this information to animal care teams and researchers in a way that means they can intervene quickly to maximise welfare.

The Mary Lyon Centre provides both scientific and technical services for UK researchers needing to use the mouse to study the impact of genes on human health. The portfolio of services include generating new mouse strains which have genes altered in a way that is either the same as seen in humans with disease or will inform scientists on the function of that gene. We have a large team of experienced animal care workers who focus on the care of our animals, ensuring that any welfare concerns are attended to and that we only breed the minimum numbers needed for the researcher. The Mary Lyon Centre also has scientific experts who can assess the health of the animals and look for signs of diseases such as diabetes and neurological disorders therefore gathering information on the function of the gene being studied. A significant proportion of our work is targeted towards training and disseminating best practice in laboratory animal science.