Animal Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Engineering

As special functional cells, induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) are revolutionizing cell biology and veterinary medicine in a unique way. As an important tool for creating animal disease models, they help scientists study pathogenic mechanisms and facilitate veterinary drug screening. With the advancement of gene editing technology, cell reprogramming techniques are also being refined, and animal iPSCs have become the dominant focus in related research areas. BioVenic focuses on the core transformation technologies associated with animal induced pluripotent stem cells and provides customized solutions to optimize tissue engineering and expand its applications in research. Our technical team designs and develops strategies to advance iPSC applications and gene modification from two important perspectives: pluripotent stem cell line construction and gene editing. We support research on various parameters for functional or therapeutic research and actively promote the smooth development of research in related fields.

Fig.1 Ruminant Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell (iPSC) Engineering and Related Applications.^1,2

Animal iPSC Engineering Solutions

To address the diverse research needs related to the development and optimization of induced pluripotent stem cells, BioVenic has introduced an integrated engineering solution for animal iPSCs. This solution includes gene editing and pluripotent stem cell line establishment, allowing researchers to choose the engineering solution that best meets their specific needs.

Pluripotent Cell Line Engineering

BioVenic offers customized engineering solutions to establish and manage iPSC lines for veterinary therapeutic development research, contributing to the advancement of cross-species iPSC research. Our team of animal stem cell experts has a thorough understanding of the core genes required to induce pluripotency in various mammals and a deep knowledge of their expression during different stages of development. We are also constantly developing technologies to deliver pluripotency genes into target cells. By testing various pluripotency factors and improving the timing and methods of introducing pluripotency genes, we are identifying the optimal approach for establishing animal pluripotent cell lines.

iPSC Genetic Engineering

BioVenic keeps up with the latest research trends and offers CRISPR/Cas9 engineering services for animal iPSCs. Using CRISPR/Cas9, we can introduce mutations that simulate disease onset into iPSCs, repair mutations in iPSC disease models, and reduce the immunogenicity of the cells themselves. Our genome editing technology adopts a strategy of maximizing genome editing efficiency through multiple optimizations and improvements, continuously improving gene cutting efficiency and controlling homologous recombination. With many years of experience in animal stem cell gene editing, BioVenic offers customized solutions for knockout, knock-in and point mutations of iPSC genomes to ensure the delivery of high-quality iPSC gene-edited cell lines. Our laboratory ensures high transfection efficiency through a rigorous standardized quality control system. We combine monoclonal identification technology with high-throughput screening to identify positive clone results.

Our animal CRISPR-iPSC gene editing platform incorporates multiple strategies at various levels to enhance editing efficiency:

Applications of Animal iPSCs

• Animal Disease Model Construction

Consumers are concerned about the prevalence of farm animal diseases, and health management and therapy development for companion animals are also hot research topics. The use of iPSCs to generate animal disease models will significantly advance the study of disease pathogenesis and the development of strategies to manage these diseases. Studies have used bovine iPSC-derived mammary organoids to investigate the pathogenesis and prevention strategies of major bovine udder diseases.

• Cellular Agriculture

Cellular agriculture, the production of animal-derived food from stem cells grown in vitro, is replacing traditional animal agriculture with environmentally friendly practices. In vitro meat production using animal iPSCs has been proposed as a clean and excellent alternative. Artificial meat hamburgers, pork belly, and bacon have been introduced, and cell-based seafood produced from fish cells and tissue cultures is becoming increasingly popular. At the same time, other animal products derived from iPSCs, such as skin and fur, are being produced, reducing environmental impact and human dependence on animal agriculture.

• Genetic Resource Protection

The development of animal iPSCs contributes to the conservation of endangered animals and the preservation of valuable genotypes. Animal iPSCs can be easily expanded for genetic storage or used as donor cells for somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). The differentiation of animal iPSCs to produce fully functional sperm and oocytes will have a profound positive impact on the conservation of endangered species and the improvement of breeding and genomic selection programs for livestock.

• Transgenic Animals

The combination of animal iPSC generation, the CRISPR/Cas9 system, and transgenic breeding technology provides a powerful platform for the generation of transgenic animals. Through the more precise generation of new transgenic varieties, research to improve growth rate and yield, enhance the nutritional content of animal products, increase disease resistance, improve reproductive efficiency and fertility, and ensure animal welfare will be widely conducted. The creation of transgenic livestock will also help reduce environmental pressures and efficiently increase economic value.

Why Choose Us?

BioVenic has not only mastered the research methods of animal induced pluripotent stem cells generated from different cells of different species in terms of cell culture and reprogramming, but also can effectively guide the optimization of tissue engineering for practical applications in scientific research. We are committed to helping researchers develop a comprehensive research strategy with clear goals from design to implementation. Our customized scientific research services address the technical challenges of animal iPSC research and application, helping researchers solve problems efficiently and manage time costs. If you are interested in generating gene-edited iPSCs or pluripotent stem cell lines, please contact us for personalized professional assistance.

References

1. Image retrieved from Figure 1 "Applications and future usages of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from ruminant livestock" Weeratunga et al., 2023, used under [CC BY 4.0] (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). The original title was changed to "Ruminant Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell (iPSC) Engineering and Related Applications."
2. Weeratunga, Prasanna, Rebecca M. Harman, and Gerlinde R. Van de Walle. "Induced pluripotent stem cells from domesticated ruminants and their potential for enhancing livestock production." Frontiers in Veterinary Science 10 (2023): 1129287.