UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON-GRADUATE SCHOOL
STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES
SOP# 100
Date Revised: 3/9/11
Title: Genotyping and Identification Procedures
Location(s): RARC Mouse Breeding Facility
Responsibility:
 The veterinary staff oversees all aspects of animal health.
 The Research Program Manager insures implementation of all husbandry procedures.
 The Animal Research Technician (ARTs) and RARC Vet Techs insure that all husbandry and
facility maintenance procedures are followed.
Safety:
 Follow Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Requirements (SOP 509) when entering any
animal/procedure rooms.
 Read directions on label and/or MSDS for all cleaning and sanitizing agents.
1. Purpose
1.1. To collect tissue for genotyping and to permanently identify a mouse.
2. Materials Needed
2.1. 2 mm ear punch, sharp scissors, bead sterilizer, gloves, lab coats, and sleeve covers, Virkon
S and Innovive cage.
3. Documents/Attachments
3.1. Genotyping cage cards and report.
4. Procedure-Ear Punching
4.1. Mice have to be at least 14 days of age and have ears large enough to place to ear punches.
Ears should be thin at this point.
4.1.1. If the litter is large at 14 days the ears may be too small. If uncertain that they are
large enough recheck in a few days.
4.2. Ear tissue also can be used for pcr, when requested by lab.
4.2.1. When using a bead sterilizer, make sure to allow ear punch to cool before punching
ear.
4.3. Spray the outside of cage with Virkon S before placing in the hood.
4.4. Set up an empty cage to hold mice once they have been ear punched.
4.5. When selecting animals to be ear punched it helps to choose animals of different color
when available for similar punches (ex. R/black vs. R/ albino). This will help ID animals in
the case you cannot read an ear punch.
4.6. Keeping your gloves wet with Virkon S restrain each mouse and put a punch in the ear. See
punch system below:
4.6.1. Separate by sex.
4.6.2. Both ears no punches
4.6.3. Right ear 1 punch
4.6.4. Left ear 1 punch
4.6.5. Right ear 1 punch and left ear 1 punch
4.6.6. Right ear 2 punches
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4.6.7. Left ear 2 punches
4.6.8. Right ear 2 punches and left ear 1 punch
4.6.9. Right ear 1 punch and left ear 2 punches
4.6.10. Right ear 2 punches and Left ear 2 punches
4.7. Record on genotype cage card and report the parents, date of birth, cage # (parent cage),
ear punch, DNA # (number of parent cage followed by last sample number taken) color and
sex of each mouse.
5. Procedure- Tail snips
5.1. Mice have to be less than 28 days to collect tails without anesthesia.
5.2. Spray the outside of cage with Virkon S before placing in the hood.
5.3. Set up on empty cage to place mice once they have been ear punched and tail snipped.
5.4. Keeping your gloves wet with Virkon S restrain each mouse and put a punch in the ear. (See
punch system above.)
5.5. Cut less then 5mm of the tip of the tail off with a hot scissors that has been in the bead
sterilizer.
5.5.1. Scissors should be hot to cauterize tail.
5.5.2. Replace scissors in bead sterilizer to allow for complete sterilization between each
tail snip so that scissors does not cause DNA contamination between mice.
5.6. Place tail snip in sealed tube, label tube with mouse id.
5.7. Record id on genotype card and report.
5.8. Tail samples should be kept in the fridge if not picked up or dropped of immediately.
5.8.1. If more then 24 hours store in -80 freezer.
Approved by: _____________________________________________________________________________________________
Jody Peter, BS, CVT, ALAT Research Program Manager
Date
Approved by: _____________________________________________________________________________________________
Janet Welter, DVM, MPH, PHD, DACLAM Sr. Program Veterinarian
Date
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