February 24-25, 2022 – The Northeast Laboratory Animal Center of Khon Kaen University and the Center for Animal Resources and Development (CARD), Kumamoto University, Japan held a workshop on: “CARD-NELAC Online Workshop on Mouse Reproductive Technology” through VDO Conference. Participants from KKU were: Assoc. Prof. Somboon Saengmaneedech, Ph.D., D.V.M., Acting Director of KKU Northeast Laboratory Animal Center; Assoc. Prof. Kulthida Wetheewutthajarn, Ph.D., M.D., Acting Deputy Director of the Northeast Laboratory Animal Center and staff members of the Center. The workshop was run by Professor Toru Takeo, Professor Seiji Okada and researchers from CARD, Kumamoto University.
The “Online Workshop on Mouse Reproductive Technology” was held with the aim to develop and transfer knowledge in reproduction techniques for small laboratory animals. The workshop topics included artificial insemination, embryo storage in extreme cold condition, and embryo transfer in mice.
Assoc. Prof. Kulthida Wetheewutthajarn, Ph.D., M.D., Acting Deputy Director of the Northeast Laboratory Animal Center revealed that this training was the transfer of knowledge and technique in storing mice strains in the strain bank that is to be established at the center in the future. This will provide researchers with more available strains of laboratory mice and enable them to select the strain that suits their research purpose. Another aim is to upgrade the service of the Northeast Laboratory Animal Center, responding more to international research work and medical services that require laboratory mice.
“This workshop is on reproduction technology in mice, and it is the first online training of Thailand and Japan. At the beginning, we planned to organize a workshop at the Northeast Laboratory Animal Center, Khon Kaen University. However, with the spread of COVID-19, it was not possible to invite experts from abroad. Therefore, the workshop has to be held online. We receive assistance from Assoc. Prof. Rangsan Phalphai, Ph.D. (an expert in mouse embryo production technology in glass tube and freezing of embryo by means of vitrification) from the Institute of Agricultural Technology, Suranaree University of Technology, who is giving a talk on the basic technique. Another expert in one of the sessions is Khun Natchanok Phuangjit”.
Assoc. Prof. Kulthida continues, “Khon Kaen University research work involves more and more laboratory animals and more strains of mice are needed to suit each study project. Import of live mice from abroad for research work means a lot of money for the research. Therefore, if we are able to inseminate them artificially and store them in the extreme cold condition as well as transferring imported embryo here, we would be able to reduce research cost. We would also be able to provide choices for researchers in KKU to select the strain that is right to their research purpose.”
The “CARD-NELAC Online Workshop on Mouse Reproductive Technology” was supported in terms of materials and budget from Thailand Center of Excellence for Life Sciences (TCELS), Thailand National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), e-Asia JRP, and Pulse Science Company Limited, the distributer of Olympus in Thailand.
