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Creating a mouse academic research commons

Nature Biotechnology volume 27, pages 890–891 (2009)Cite this article

To the Editor:

More than a decade has passed since the uproar in the research community over the patenting of research mice and methods to make genetically altered mice, and in particular the Oncomouse1 and Cre-lox2 patents. Since then the academic research community has come to appreciate the value of creating a 'mouse commons' for academic research that is free of concerns over patents and burdensome transactional negotiations involving licenses and material transfer agreements (MTAs). At a recent meeting of investigators, technology transfer experts and policy makers at a CASIMIR (Coordination and Sustainability of International Mouse Informatics Resources) conference in Rome, there was consensus to move toward a commons approach for the sharing and distribution of mice within academia. Indeed, a research study of agreements entered into by the Jackson Laboratory (Jackson) to import and distribute new mouse models into its mouse repository confirms that a mouse commons is not just a utopian ideal but already exists.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, Maine, USA

    David Einhorn

  2. Center for Law & Innovation, University of Maine School of Law, Portland, Maine, USA

    Rita Heimes

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  1. David Einhorn
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  2. Rita Heimes
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Correspondence to David Einhorn.

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Einhorn, D., Heimes, R. Creating a mouse academic research commons. Nat Biotechnol 27, 890–891 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt1009-890

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