for assistance call: 1-888-673-3444
 
Weather Advisory
 February 16, 2025
Weather impacts shipments, particularly of live animals. Please check with your selected courier to learn how their shipping methods (e.g. air or ground shipment) and temperature restictions may impact your orders. While we recognize that shipping delays are frustrating, when it comes to live animal shipments, the safety and welfare of the animals comes first. 
In Need of a New Rat Model?
 February 16, 2025
Need a new rat model?  The RRRC in conjunction with the MU Animal Modeling Core (AMC) can assist with the generation of transgenic rats, create knock-out and knock-in rats using CRISPR/Cas9 technology and genetically manipulate rat embryonic stem cells to make chimeric animals.  Contact us to discuss your rat model needs and how we can help. 
Laboratory Animal Genetic Reporting (LAG-R) Guidelines Published
 July 07, 2024
The LAG-R framework (Laboratory Animal Genetic Reporting) is a set of guidelines to support more complete documentation of the genetic make-up of animals of all species that are used in research, with the aim of bolstering reproducibility, reliability, and overall scientific rigor. See Nature Communications (https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-49439-y).
GRCr8: A new rat reference assembly is now available.
 February 05, 2024
GRCr8 (GenBank NCBI # GCA_036323735.1) is the latest version of the rat reference genome assembly. See the Genome Reference Consortium (GRC) blog for more details.
How to Order
To place an order with the RRRC, click the “Order Form” tab at the top of RRRC website. This will open the online order form https://appsprod.missouri.edu/VetMedRRRC/OrderForm/RatOrderForm

Complete the order form with the requested information.

Orders are limited to 10 animals or less. For larger orders, please email rrrc@missouri.edu for a quote.


For more information on available strains, please visit the rat strain page here: http://www.rrrc.us/search/. You may search for strain via the search bar at the top, or refine the listings by using the drop down options on the left hand side.

For pricing information for animal orders, please visit our pricing page here: http://www.rrrc.us/Pricing/.

Please note, all international orders will be charged a $300 international fee.

Institutions requiring the RRRC to set up system accounts for processing of invoices will be charged administration fees to cover the cost of set up ($50) and processing of each invoice ($25).  Administration Fees should be included on PO’s in order to expedite processing.

After an order has been submitted, it will be assigned an order number and you will receive an email from RRRC customer support confirming your order. Please read this email carefully for further instructions.  Our customer support will contact you by phone if your order includes special requests or additional information about your order is needed.

Once an order is received, an invoice will be issued. Payment can be made by credit card, check or wire transfer.  In addition, the RRRC will need a signed Outgoing Material Transfer Agreement (MTA). Include the RRRC order number on all correspondence to prevent delays.  Please note that a fully executed MTA as well as payment in full are necessary before fullfillment of an order can be initiated.  Fee-for-Service requests may not require a MTA but will require payment in full before initiation of the project.  

The RRRC maintains small colonies of a subset of the strains/stocks in our inventory for distribution of live rats on a first come, first serve basis.  The size of the breeding colony, the size of the litters being produced and the number of requests in the queue all influence time from placement/initiation of an order to shipping of live animals.

Orders for live animals are generally filled within 2-4 months after the on-line order, the MTA and the payment are provided, but this can vary depending on current availability and demand. Cryo-resuscitation orders take an average of 6 months to be filled. Orders for other materials (sperm, embryos, ES cells, DNA, etc.) are shipped as soon as all paperwork is completed and payment has been recieved.  Fee-for-service time lines will be communicated as the project is initiated and progresses.

Please note that choice of courier and all associated shipping costs are the responsibility of the customer.

Once animals are assigned to your order, you will receive an email with the animal information details and a request for your shipping authorization. Shipping will only take place once authorization is given. Please make sure you have provided your courier account number to prevent shipping delays. 

Animals are generally shipped on Mondays, for next day delivery. The shipping date and job number will be communicated to you via email prior to shipment. Please confirm the delivery date with your courier company.  Shipping charges will be billed to you directly from the courier, not from the RRRC.  Please note that once animals leave the RRRC facility, they are in the custody of your chosen courier and you should communicate directly with the courier should any issues arise.  The RRRC can assist with these discussions
but is not responsible for issues that arise once the animals/materials have left our facility.