Knockout Mice and Gene Replacement

Knockout mice help researchers study gene function by showing what happens when a gene is turned off. These engineered animals are also useful for modeling human diseases such as cancer, Parkinson’s disease, and diabetes.

A specific gene can be targeted by using a targeting vector, which is a pie...

Scientists can inactivate or knock out a gene in animals, commonly mice, to learn more about the function of the gene, usually by replacing it with a targeting vector, an engineered piece of DNA.

The targeting vector has sequences that are homologous, identical to the sequences before and after the gene. It usually also has a positive se...