JAX® Mice availability information (standard supply levels)

Maintaining optimal levels of availability for thousands of JAX® Mice strains and responding quickly to changes in demand is complex. We continually review and adjust inventory levels of our strains to keep pace with researchers' evolving needs. To help you plan your experiments, we have assigned each JAX® Mice strain a Standard Supply Level to indicate the approximate quantities of mice that can typically be shipped from colonies during a fixed period of time (e.g., days or weeks).

New strains under development

View a list of JAX® Mice strains currently under development

Each year, hundreds of new JAX® Mice strains become available. Due to the inherent complexities of breeding and maintaining mutant mice, the development process (i.e. importing, rederiving, genotyping, developing a founder breeding colony, and expanding the breeding colony for public distribution) can take 12 months or more. While a strain is being developed, you can register your interest to receive advance notice (typically three weeks) of the strain's pending availability which enables you to place an order before it becomes publicly available. 'Register interest' links are found at the top of every strain datasheet for strains under development.

Standard supply levels

Level 1

JAX Ready Strain®. Most popular strains. Readily available in any quantity you need.

Level 2

Up to 100 mice. Larger quantities or custom orders arranged upon request.

Level 3

Up to 50 mice. Larger quantities or custom orders arranged upon request.

Level 4

Up to 10 mice. Larger quantities or custom orders arranged upon request. Expected delivery up to one to three months.

Repository—Live

The Repository Strains represent an exclusive set of over 1,500 unique mouse models maintained at The Jackson Laboratory to support a vast array of research areas. The breeding colonies for Repository Strains provide mice for both large and small orders and fluctuate in size depending on current demand for each strain. We treat orders for these Strains as custom orders. Within 2 business days, we respond to each availability inquiry or order with various delivery options. Repository Strains typically are delivered at 4 to 8 weeks of age and will not exceed 12 weeks of age on the day of shipping.

Research Strain

Availability determined by The Jackson Laboratory scientist holding the strain.

Cryopreserved—Ready for recovery.

We maintain JAX® Mice strains that have limited and infrequent demand in a cryopreserved state. Mice from these strains are typically ready for shipment within 12 to 14 weeks of receipt of your order. Recovered mice are Specified and Opportunistic Pathogen Free (SOPF).

For orders placed within the U.S.A Canada and Mexico the cryorecovery fee is $1,980.00.
For orders placed outside of the U.S.A., Canada and Mexico the cryorecovery fee is $2,574.00.

Please refer to the Cryorecovery descriptions below for specific information for a recovery. Please note that if a strain needs progeny testing the cost of progeny testing is not included in this basic cryorecovery fee.

Cryorecovery—Standard*

We will fulfill your order by providing at least two pair of mice, at least one animal of each pair carrying the mutation of interest. The total number of animals provided, their gender and genotype will vary. Please inquire if larger numbers of animals with specific genotype and genders are needed. Animals typically ship between 13 and 16 weeks from the date of your order. If a second cryorecovery is needed in order to provide the minimum number of animals, animals will ship within 25 weeks. IMPORTANT NOTE: The genotypes of animals provided may not reflect the mating scheme utilized by The Jackson Laboratory prior to cryopreservation, or that discussed in the strain description. Please inquire about possible genotypes which will be recovered for this specific strain. The Jackson Laboratory cannot guarantee the reproductive success of mice shipped to your facility. If the mice are lost after the first three days (post-arrival) or do not produce progeny at your facility, a new order and fee will be necessary. 

Cryorecovery of strains needing progeny testing*

At least two untested males and two untested females (two pairs) will be recovered (eight or more mice is typical). The total number of animals provided, their gender and genotype will vary. Untested animals typically are available to ship between 13 and 16 weeks from the date of your order. If the first recovery attempt is unsuccessful, a second recovery will be done, extending the overall recovery time to approximately 25 weeks.
Progeny testing is required to identify the genotype of mice of this strain, as a genotyping assay is not available. This type of testing involves breeding the recovered animals and assessing the phenotype of the offspring in order to identify animals carrying the mutation of interest. We can perform the progeny testing for you as a service or we can ship all recovered animals to you for progeny testing at your facility. If you perform the progeny testing, there is NO guarantee that a carrier will be identified. If we perform progeny testing as a service, additional breeding time will be required. In this case, when a male and female (one pair) are identified that carry the mutation, they and their offspring will be shipped. Delivery time for strains requiring progeny testing often exceeds 25 weeks and may take 12 months or more due to the difficulties in breeding some strains. The progeny testing cost is in addition to the recovery cost and is based on the number of boxes used and the time taken to produce the mice identified as carrying the mutation. Please note that identified pairs may not reflect the mating scheme utilized by The Jackson Laboratory prior to cryopreservation of the strain. Mating schemes are sometimes modified for successful cryopreservation. Please contact Customer Service for more information on the cost of progeny testing for a strain. The Jackson Laboratory cannot guarantee the reproductive success of mice shipped to your facility. If the mice are lost after the first three days (post-arrival) or do not produce progeny at your facility, a new order and fee will be necessary.

* Cryorecovery to establish a Dedicated Supply for greater quantities of mice
Mice recovered can be used to establish a dedicated colony to contractually supply you mice according to your requirements. Price by quotation. For more information on Dedicated Supply, please contact JAX® Services.

Cryorecovery - Strains Requiring Specialized Phenotyping

At least two untested males and two untested females (two pairs) will be recovered from cryopreserved stocks and will require specialized phenotyping in order to identify animals carrying the mutation of interest. We do not perform the phenotyping for this strain. Upon completion of the cryorecovery process, we will ship you all of the recovered mice (a minimum of two pair, typically eight or more). We cannot guarantee that you will receive or be able to identify animals of the phenotype of interest. Please be advised that a new order and cryorecovery fee will be necessary to recover additional mice, if needed. The typical cryorecovery period required is 10 weeks. However, because recovery efficiency and viability can vary, a second cryorecovery sometimes may be required in order to complete this order, which may extend the time for order completion to 15 to 20 weeks. If this situation occurs, we will notify you of the delay. Please note that identified pairs may not reflect the mating scheme utilized by The Jackson Laboratory prior to cryopreservation of the strain. Mating schemes are sometimes modified for successful cryopreservation. Please contact Customer Service for more information. The Jackson Laboratory cannot guarantee the reproductive success of mice shipped to your facility. If the mice are lost after the first three days (post-arrival) or do not produce progeny at your facility, a new order and fee will be necessary.