The specific goals of Transgenic/Inhalation Core are to provide housing of mice prior to inhalation experiments in a pathogen-free environment and controlled exposures to asbestos and ovalbumin (OVA). The objective of the Transgenic Mouse Core is to provide transgenic mice to the members of the Program Project. The generation, maintenance and screening of new and previously generated conventional transgenic mice will be centralized in this Core. In addition, this Core aims to develop a new experimental approach that involves stable integration of bacterial artificial chromosomes (BACs) in the mouse genome. Our goals are:

• to provide a Core service for the generation of new transgenic mice (F2 C3H x C57Bl/6) expressing specific transgenes in pulmonary epithelial cells.

• to centralize the backcross process required to obtain each of the new and previously generated transgenic mice in two specific backgrounds. The new F2 C3H x C57Bl/6

• to screen transgenic mice by molecular analyses of genomic DNA (PCR, slot blot) and provide the necessary number of mice to the investigators in the Program.

• to develop new applications involving the use of transgenic mice to study lung fibrosis. An alternative approach to complement the classical transgenic mouse models will be developed during the Program funding period: the generation of transgenic mice by BACs.