InfrafrontierGR/Phenotypos

One of the INFRAFRONTIER2020 project aims is to develop pilot platforms and services supporting microbiome research. A service to derive germ-free (axenic) mice is now provided by three infrastructures with a long standing expertise and track record in the derivation of axenic and gnotobiotic mice, namely the Gnoto / Axenic Facility of the Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, the Karolinska Institutet Core Facility for Germ-freeResearch, and the CNRS Service Isotechnie of the PHENOMIN-TAAM infrastructure. The Karolinska Institutet has maintained a unique platform for the handling and derivationof gnotobiotic models kept under germ-free (GF) conditions since the 1960s. All infrastructures are partners and founding members of the ECGnoto network http://www.ecgnoto.eu.

The participating INFRAFRONTIER infrastructures are among very few dedicated facilities in Europe who have the required equipment and expertise to generate germ-freeand gnotobiotic mice. All infrastructures routinely offer their services to external users. The participating axenic- and gnotobiology platforms support research into host-microbiota interactions to study the role of the microbiome in both health and disease. This has been the subject of extensive research and established the involvement of the microbiome in metabolism, nutrition, physiology, and immune function and showed that mammalian microbiota play crucial roles in the pathogenesis of many diseases.

Access to the axenic service will be granted on the basis of scientific excellence and supports pilot projects for the derivation of-germ-free mice. Further breeding and characterisation of axenic mice or the development of gnotobiotic models can be offered on a fee-for-service or on a collaborative basis.

During the course of the INFRAFRONTIER2020 project a total of 2 Trans-nationalAccess calls for the derivation of germ-free mice supporting a total of 10 projects will be published. The second call will be released in spring 2018.