If the desired MHC allele is not currently listed as available from the NIH Tetramer Core Facility, it is still possible to request the reagent through our request forms by selecting the 'Other' option (present on the Class I form and the Custom Class II form).  

For this type of request, we are sometimes able to generate the clone through our own means; however, it may be necessary for the requester to supply the appropriate clone. In the event we require a clone to be sent to us, the plasmid will not be distributed, but the cDNA becomes property of the NIH Tetramer Facility. The requester must agree to allow the NIH Tetramer Facility to retain the plasmid, subclone the cDNA into the appropriate expression vector, and produce the allele for future distribution of tetramer reagents.

Other special requests (such as an alternative species of beta-2 microglobulin) can be handled in the same manner.

Please note that the NIH Tetramer Facility cannot provide certain Class I MHC tetramers that are commercially available from Beckman Coulter Immunomics Operations (BCI) except to NIH researchers. A list of these excluded tetramers can be found here.