Transgenesis and Gene Replacement

The advent of transgenic and gene replacement technologies has revolutionized the understanding of gene function and regulation. Precisely manipulating the genome of mammals by introducing or deleting genes gives a unique understanding into how these genes functionally integrate into biology in their endogenous setting. The landscape of genetic manipulation is vast, providing seemingly endless variations of basic methods that are easily adapted to determine specific roles of genes in vivo. Here an overview of the most widely used and informative techniques will be discussed mainly in the context of mouse models.