intro
Introducing the Mouse Phenome Project
. . . to establish a collection of baseline phenotypic data on commonly used and genetically diverse inbred mouse strains through a coordinated international effort.
The Mouse Phenome Project is an international collaboration representing five countries in both the academic and corporate sectors.
This project originated from the Strain Characterization Workshop at The Jackson Laboratory in May, 1999 where 37 scientists, representing 17 research institutions and corporations assembled. The overwhelming consensus of workshop participants was that:
The MPD website will enable investigators to identify appropriate strains for:
physiological testing
drug discovery
toxicology studies
mutagenesis
disease onset and susceptibility
new models of human disease
QTL analyses and identification of new genes
unraveling the influence of environment on genotype
Comprehensive phenotypic information on inbred mouse strains is urgently needed because the laboratory mouse, with its hundreds of inbred, specialized, and mutant strains, serves as the primary animal model for exploring genetic variation and human biology.
Reliable phenotypic data are essential for realizing the full utility of genomic information that will emerge from sequencing the mouse genome.
The scope of this large-scale collaborative project requires international cooperation and both academic and industrial participation.
Experts in diverse fields of biomedical science should generate this phenotypic data.
A central, web-accessible database should be developed and housed at The Jackson Laboratory.
The Mouse Phenome Database (MPD) is the database and web site of the Mouse Phenome Project. The MPD serves as a repository for protocols and raw data which are available for on-screen viewing and downloading. The MPD website provides:
Current project information
Focal points for community participation
Navigation routes to phenotypic data
The MPD is populated with data:
Generated through the Mouse Phenome Project
Contributed from the scientific community
Published in the scientific literature
For a summary of current MPD content see our Quick Facts page.
Investigators world-wide are encouraged to participate in this community effort.
Contacting us:
Mouse Phenome Project
The Jackson Laboratory, Box 7
600 Main Street
Bar Harbor, Maine USA 04609
207 288 6016
The email address for the Mouse Phenome Project / Mouse Phenome Database is
MPD headquarters staff: