Medical Research Council's Mary Lyon Centre

The Medical Research Council’s Mary Lyon Centre (MLC) is located on the Harwell Campus, Oxfordshire. The MLC opened in 2004 and is now firmly established as a central state of the art animal facility for the generation and phenotypic characterisation of genetically modified mice. The mouse is an important model species in the study of genetic disease because of its small size, rapid generation time and the availability of an array of exquisitely precise molecular tools that can be used to alter the genetic code. The Centre’s collective goal is to support the wider research community by providing high quality mouse strains, phenotype data, expertise and other services. In 2017, the MLC was awarded the Understanding Animal Research’s Openness Award for Public Engagement for opening their labs to 3D cameras so a 360 degree virtual tour of the facility could be made including videos and pop out information.

The MLC was involved with The Animal Research Nexus through its position on the Programme Advisory Committee and worked with many different project members on questions around cultures of care, as well as exploring ways of engaging more fully with patients and the public.