A quality framework for cryopreserved rodent disease models: INFRAFRONTIER quality principles in EMMA archiving and distribution

Ensuring the quality and reproducibility of biological resources is essential for advancing biomedical research and upholding animal welfare standards. The European Mouse Mutant Archive (EMMA), part of the INFRAFRONTIER research infrastructure, plays a key role in this effort by cryopreserving scientifically validated mutant mouse and rat strains and making them accessible to the global scientific community. To further enhance its processes and promote transparency, INFRAFRONTIER/EMMA has developed a set of ten Quality Principles specifically tailored to the unique requirements of cryopreserved rodent mutant strains. These principles guide EMMA's workflows by providing a structured yet flexible quality framework across its distributed nodes. They encompass both general standards-such as adherence to the 3Rs (Replace, Reduce, Refine), staff competence, and continuous improvement-and more specific areas including scientific evaluation, data curation, and intellectual property rights. Each principle is presented with contextual background, defined requirements, practical recommendations, and key references. This initiative aims to strengthen the reliability, ethical integrity, and reproducibility of preclinical research resources.

Institut National de la Sante et de la Recherche Medicale (INSERM)
Mary Lyon Ctr MRC Harwell
INFRAFRONTIER ERIC
Czech Academy of Sciences
Alexander Fleming Biomedical Sciences Research Center
Netherlands Cancer Institute
German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD)
University of Oulu
Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas (CSIC)
CIBER - Centro de Investigacion Biomedica en Red
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)
Technical University of Munich
Karolinska Institutet
Helmholtz Association
Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR)