Zebrafish facility

Research areas:

• Functional genomics of complex human traits

The facility hosts an average of 300 zebrafish a year, including adults and growing animals. Currently there are wild type and transgenic animals, housed in two air-conditioned multi-channel cabinets which are monitored daily.

Breeding is essential for maintaining the lines and obtaining embryos which are mainly used in gene function studies of human orthologs. Each project carried out is approved by the University Ethics Committee, as authorized by the municipal  breeding authorization. The main research projects aim to address the characterization of human genes and molecular pathways related to human physiology and pathogenesis with functional genomics approaches. Zebrafish are employed in the functional characterization of the human CYYR1 gene (cysteine ​​and tyrosine-rich 1), for the study of compromised genes in neurodegenerative diseases (Parkinson's) and girdle muscular dystrophies (LGMDD2), as well as in studies related to the role of BDNF in the response to different types of stress.

Methods: breeding, mating, growth of embryos, monitoring of the chemical-physical conditions of the system, microinjection of molecular constructs.

Teaching activity:

The lab is used for research purposes, where undergraduates are trained in carrying out the internship period for the purposes of the Degree. Occasionally educational visits are organized for small groups as part of university courses of the School of Medicine and / or the School of Sciences.

Instrumentation available

• Two multi-channel air-conditioned cabinets (Bau-Schwarz) with separate supply tanks
• Millipore/ Elix10 reverse osmosis purification system and its containment tank
• instruments such as conductivity meter, light meter, oxymeter, water quality chemical-physical analysis kit