In quest of genomic treasure.

It should be emphasized that "129" is not simply a number but is also the designation of a mouse strain that has made a great contribution to modern biological science and technology. Embryonic stem cells derived from 129 mice were essential components of gene-targeting strategies in early research. More recently, 129 mice have provided superior donor genomes for cloning by nuclear transfer. Some factor or factors conferring genomic plasticity must exist in the 129 genome, but these remain unidentified.