Addressing experimental variability: Taconic launches TruBiome
The provider of genetically engineered rodent model solutions has launched TruBiome, a new platform that enables researchers to develop models with customized microbiota profiles.
“Researchers consistently state they are concerned about the microbiome as a confounding factor in their experiments,” said Dr. Alex Maue, associate portfolio director, microbiome products and services, Taconic Biosciences.
“TruBiome provides a solution for researchers who are concerned about how changes in their mouse’s microbiome may affect their experimental results,” he told us.
As Maue explained, the platform provides researchers with the ability to generate custom microbiome study animals with a more consistent microbiome across generations. The animals are maintained in isolators and are monitored regularly using 16s next-generation sequencing to assess any potential changes in microbial diversity, he said.
“The microbiome is consistently cited as a key contributor to experimental variability,” added Maue. “Alterations in microbial diversity can have significant impacts on phenotype and host physiology, and may impact drug efficacy.”
The TruBiome solution includes a collection of defined microbiome profiles as part of the company’s Taconic Microbiota Repository. This also includes the Wild Mouse gut microbiome, which Taconic earlier this month licensed from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
