1. CUSTOMER PROFILE
Ronald Naumann
Transgenic Core Facility
Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology June 2016
Hamilton Thorne, Inc., 100 Cummings Center, Suite 465E, Beverly, MA 01915-6143 USA, 978.921.2050, 800.323.0503, Fax: 978.921.0250
Singapore Office: 348 Kang Ching Road, 04-171, Singapore, 610348, (65) 922.65.981, (65) 9067.4755, Fax: (65) 6265.8638
At the Transgenic Core Facility (TCF) of the Max Planck
Institute of Molecular Cell Biology in Dresden, Germany,
Group Leader Ronald Naumann is surrounded by
rodents—knock-out mice that is.
Naumann’s job is to produce transgenic mice created with
an altered DNA structure for research purposes. He uses
Hamilton Thorne’s XYClone to help him perform laser
assisted embryonic stem cell (ES) injection and the IVOS to
measure the viability of previously frozen sperm.
Image Courtesy: TCF MPI-CBG Dresden/Germany
Naumann started using the XYClone in 2007 after reading
about the effectiveness of using laser assisted injection at
the eight-cell stage instead of the conventional blastocyst
injection methods being used at the time. The article
published in Nature Biotechnology used the XYClone to
conduct comparisons between the two procedures, and
the experiments “resulted in dramatically higher ES cell
contribution than the blastocyst injections” (Poueymirou
et al. 2007).
Following the discovery of CRISPR for gene editing in 2013,
there has been concern about the usefulness of laser
assisted ES-cell injection. However, Naumann believes that
there is still a valid need for the ES-cell injection technique
and his lab generates 15 to 20 mouse lines a year using
this process.
“The CRISPR technique works well in generating mice with
point mutations or full Knock-Out by deletion,” Naumann
says. “But scientists are working much more efficiently in
researching gene functions using conditional Knock-out
systems,” he continued. “Conditional Knock-out is more
interesting because it allows the gene and its product to
be floxed (sleeping) in one tissue type or organ, for
example the brain, but the protein would still be present
in other organs. With CRISPR, it is not yet possible to
achieve this result. A conditional DNA construct is simply
too large for an integration into the mouse genome by
CRISPR.”
When producing these mutant mice, scientists follow an
ethical code of conduct known as the Three R’s: replace
the use of animals, reduce the number of animals used
and refine the way experiments are conducted.
Image Courtesy: TCF MPI-CBG Dresden/Germany

2. CUSTOMER PROFILE
Ronald Naumann
Transgenic Core Facility
Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology June 2016
Hamilton Thorne, Inc., 100 Cummings Center, Suite 465E, Beverly, MA 01915-6143 USA, 978.921.2050, 800.323.0503, Fax: 978.921.0250
Singapore Office: 348 Kang Ching Road, 04-171, Singapore, 610348, (65) 922.65.981, (65) 9067.4755, Fax: (65) 6265.8638
As a person who loves his profession and the animals he
works with, Naumann believes “responsibility” should be
added as an additional “R”. He expresses that using the
XYClone assists him with refining his techniques of ES-cell
injections which helps him responsibly decrease the
number of mice sacrificed.
Image Courtesy: TCF MPI-CBG Dresden/Germany
Naumann uses the IVOS for measurement protocols of
frozen sperm. He states, “Because ‘sperm freezing’ is one
of our backup technologies, the IVOS plays a big role in our
lab. A standard sperm project is closed with two protocols:
One is a fresh sperm measurement and the second is a
controlled sample of thawed sperm.”
Aware that his customers expect these parameters to be
followed, Naumann performs an analysis with the IVOS to
guarantee the sperm’s revitalization. In his experience
with Hamilton Thorne over the years, Naumann feels the
systems are easy to use and provide stability. “I like the
RED-i function and the advantage that the laser is
integrated into the objective,” he says.
He has also helped set up multiple transgenic facilities and
in each lab he recommends use of the XYClone and the
IVOS depending on the lab’s service portfolio.
Naumann believes prospective customers should know
about the efficiency and cost reduction provided by our
systems.
He concludes by saying, “HT products provide a good
method to make the reduction of animals real and
supports the 3R’s guidelines in technical development.”
If you would like us to profile one of your customers, please contact
Natasha Sudiaman at nsudiaman@hamiltonthorne.com.
References: Poeymirou WT et. al. F0 generation mice fully derived
from gene-targeted embryonic stem cells allowing immediate
phenotypic analyses. Nature Publishing Group. 2007 Jan; 25(1): 91-
99. Open Article Access.
Zhang J et al. Conditional gene manipulation: Creating a new
biological era. J. Zhejiang Univ-Sci B (Biomed & Biotechnol). 2012
Feb; 13(7): 511-524.
Image Courtesy: TCF MPI-CBG Dresden/Germany