WRITTEN BY CRYSTAL SANDS
What do humans and zebrafish have in common? It turns out a lot more than most of us might think. Zebrafish and humans share approximately 70% of the same genes. Researchers at the University of Maine in Orono are leveraging the human-zebrafish connection in a new lab designed to advance health discoveries.
“We want to understand how defects cause sickness, and zebrafish make it easy to study that question,” said Jared Talbot, associate professor of developmental biology.
Talbot explained that zebrafish are excellent for research, not only because of the genes humans share with them, but also because their eggs are transparent, as are the spawn during the first weeks of life. This transparency makes it easy for researchers to observe as tissues develop. Zebrafish are also relatively easy to house and produce a lot of offspring in a short period, making the small fish easier to manage for research compared to mice, for example.
The new lab, which opened last May and was funded by a grant written and secured by Clarissa Henry, professor of biological sciences at UMaine, enables the research team to communicate and share findings with over 1,000 other labs around the world that study zebrafish.
Right now, the team at UMaine has two main focuses in their new lab: First, they are looking at the MYLPF gene (a gene that encodes protein crucial for muscle contraction), and why people get sick when its function is disrupted. The second focus is on how cells migrate to the right places to build muscles.
Henry said the need for a new facility to conduct this important research was clear, and the new lab and improved conditions are already yielding success. According to Henry, the team has seen a 400% increase in the fish’s ability to produce offspring, which improves the team’s ability to conduct research.
“This has been fantastic for our students,” Henry said. “For our undergraduates, the lab provides opportunities for team building and hands-on work.”
She added that the lab has also been great for recruitment of graduate students.
Alexandra Myles is one of those students taking advantage of the valuable research lab. She is a senior at UMaine studying pre-med, and said she’s always loved research. She recently won a grant to fund her own study in the lab. Troy Hupper is a graduate student who has been working in the lab to study the effects of the MYLPF gene on movement.
“We can use the zebrafish as a possible therapeutic model for humans,” Hupper said.
Mark Nilan has been managing the zebrafish lab at UMaine since 2003, and played a critical role in the new lab’s design. He said the new facility has more than doubled what they were able to do in the old lab, which didn’t have ideal heat or lighting.
“This new lab creates prime conditions for the zebrafish, and it has made a big difference,” Nilan said.
Nilan also emphasized that the zebrafish lab is open for activities like school field trips, which can help inspire the next generation of young scientists.
The work of these UMaine researchers is inspiring for all ages. For example, studies in the zebrafish lab have already led to important discoveries about what happens to our muscles when we’re sick with a virus. These kinds of discoveries can lead to help for millions of people — and it’s all happening right here in our community.
