animal model

Why Use Zebrafish to Study Human Diseases?

Zebrafish facility tanks

Scientists use a variety of laboratory techniques to investigate the genetic cause of human diseases. While mice and rats have been common choices for modeling human diseases in the past, the use of zebrafish is rapidly gaining popularity. Does this surprise you? Let me explain.

How I Joined the Rat Race

In college, a common student icebreaker is a game called “two truths and a lie.” A lucid memory of playing this game stands out for me: a very sweet and quiet friend had written down her three “facts,” one of which was that she had “fancy rats” for pets. I couldn’t understand how my docile friend could tolerate rats at all, much less “pet” rats. Surely, that must have been the lie, right?

Fast-forward a few years, and I am now happily working at the NIH in a position where rats are an integral part of what I do.

Researcher with rat