How a tiny pet store fish became the center of neuroscience research

How a tiny pet store fish became the center of neuroscience research

By Sahana Sitaraman

Source: asbmb

11/27/2021

Every morning, I would rush to the lab to see if my fish had laid eggs. I watched the brain cells of these completely transparent organisms multiply under the lens. I still remember the first time I saw a live neuron grow in front of my eyes, in the brain of a young fish larva. This striped tropical fish could fit in the palm of my hands, and yet is one of the most important organisms in biology, allowing researchers to answer fundamental questions in neuroscience, developmental, cancer, disease and regenerative biology.

The beginnings of zebrafish research can be traced back to early 1930s when Charles Creaser at Wayne State University in Detroit began using zebrafish (Danio rerio) eggs to show students the development of a live embryo and the movement of blood inside its arteries. Creaser was able to do this because zebrafish females release eggs from their body which are fertilized by the sperm released from the male. The freshly formed embryo is accessible to the observer from the moment it is fertilized. The fact that zebrafish embryos and larvae are transparent means studying the internal parts of the animal is a breeze. Creaser established methods for rearing, feeding and breeding zebrafish in the lab, but widespread use of the animal did not take off for another three decades.

Continue...

News Id		Source	Stamp	country
3301	World's most expensive fish that can rake in millions spotted off the UK coast	dailystar	2021-10-24	UK
3302	How does this fish keep its 500 teeth nice and sharp? Scientists have the answer	CBC Radio	2021-11-04	CA
3303	A Q&A with Mark Spitzer, renowned expert on fugly fish	4state news	2021-10-25	US
3304	This odd Colorado River fish faces an uncertain future	nationalgeographic	2021-10-18	US
3305	Norway reveals plans for river trap system to protect wild salmon	theguardian	2021-10-21	NO
3306	Magnet Fishing, a Pandemic Craze, Is Now Creating Trash Problems	wsj	2021-10-17	DE
3307	'Stunned' researchers rescue 4,000-pound sunfish from net	usatoday	2021-10-19	US
3308	Tongue-eating creature found inside fish at Texas state park is the stuff of nightmares	ksat	2021-10-20	US
3309	After 19 fishing deaths in Texas, officials are offering tips for anglers to stay safe	mysanantonio	2021-10-22	US
3310	Algae-purified wastewater used to raise fish	newatlas	2021-10-21	CN
3311	Fly fish angler reels in potential world-record blue catfish in Texas river	ksat	2021-10-21	US
3312	Would you quit your job for $110,000? This California swordfish catcher said no	latimes	2021-10-15	US
3313	Fish farmers 'should face penalties and even criminal charges for mass escapes'	heraldscotland	2021-10-16	UK
3314	Fishing without hooks, rods, reels: This old method still works	The Post and Courier	2021-10-17	US
3315	NJ angler sets new fishing record in landlocked reservoir	Fox News	2021-10-29	US
3316	After poll, lawmakers will propose Lake Erie favorite as Ohio’s state fish	wkbn	2021-10-14	US
3317	Mystery beast with no eyes, ears or mouth stuns diver in depths of the Red Sea	mirror	2021-10-15	EG
3318	U.S. Senate candidate Kelly Tshibaka cited for fishing without commercial crew license	adn	2021-10-08	US
3319	Parks Commission expands coastal wetland restoration to Boyer’s Creek	Niagara This Week	2019-02-19	CA
3320	Now properly classified, this tiny, translucent fish could help unlock our brains’ secrets	Texas Standard	2021-10-05	US
3321	Fishing record revoked in Connecticut	fox	2021-09-29	US
3322	Fisherman breaks nearly 30-year-old record in Florida	foxnews	2021-10-12	US
3323	Alligator gar caught in Kansas for the first time ever	foxnews	2021-10-13	US
3324	Rare fish, last spotted in Ohio creek in 1957, declared extinct	yahoo	2021-10-06	US
3325	Who or what is killing the bass in Green Lake?	Star Tribune	2021-10-06	US

132 of [218 - pages.]