Tube of blood is placed in a medical centrifuge for plasma lifting

Our Services

The objective of the Islet Isolation Core is to provide isolated Islets of Langerhans from rats and mice for investigators. Thanks to years of experience, the Core can predictably provide islets that are high in quantity, quality and purity.

The Core can buy animals or the investigator can provide their own, such as when special transgenic mice are required.  We also provide training and expert advice. The Core can provide training not only for the islet isolation procedure but for measurement of islet viability, islet size and equivalence (IEQ).

Moreover, the Core can provide advice about a wide variety of techniques including Glucose Stimulated Insulin Secretion (GSIS), streptozocin (STZ) induction of diabetes, transplantation of islets under the kidney capsule, and islet graft retrieval. The Core can also provide advice about culturing islets, determination of DNA and insulin content, and obtaining RNA for gene expression.

The Core can isolate up to 12 rats in one isolation.  If the rats are processed individually then up to 8 can be done per isolation. Rats from late fetal age and up can be used.  Any rat strain from Taconic, Charles River or Envigo can be purchased. The average yield from an isolation of 12 rats is about 10,000 islets but will vary depending on age and strain of rat. Scheduling generally takes about 2 weeks but can be less or longer depending on how busy the Core is. 

The Core can isolate up to 15 mice in one isolation.  If the mice area processed individually then up to 8 can be done per isolation. Mice from late fetal age and up can be used.  Any mouse strain from Jackson, Taconic, Charles River or Envigo or your favorite transgenic mouse can be used for isolation.  The islet yield from a mouse is usually between 150-300 islets per mouse, depending on age and strain.

The core offers training in:

Islet isolation

Islet viability testing (FDA/PI)

Determining islet insulin and DNA content
Islet culture techniques
Islet transplantation under the kidney capsule

Graft retrieval for morphology and other determinations,
Glucose stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) in vitro and in vivo

Streptozotocin (STZ) diabetes induction

 

Description of Service Unit Price
Islet isolation  $581 - $618
Species and strain Depends on vendor pricing unless the end user is providing the animals.
Animal Housing $0.85 - $1.25/day
Culture $80
Shipping $80

 

Requesting Services and Chargeback Rates

Visit Joslin’s iLab portal to request services and for information on chargebacks.