Zebrafish research facility launched
UNIC Health is announcing the establishment of a research facility on campus dedicated to research and education. The facility is designed to house zebrafish (Danio rerio), a small fresh water fish named for its striped pattern. With 65 aquatic tanks, the facility can accommodate up to 1,000 fish. Zebrafish have a repertoire of molecular, genetic, and cellular manipulations, and a degree of similarity to the human genome, making them a model for studying human development, disease, and homeostasis across disciplines.
Associate Professors Konstantinos Voskarides and Annita Achilleos have worked together to set up the facility, the second of its kind in Cyprus, to expand their research interests and develop opportunities for researchers and students.
‘Our goal is to support the scientific research efforts at UNIC Health by introducing a model that can be used in research, from genetics and regeneration to pharmacological and toxicological studies’, says Dr Achilleos, adding, ‘Collaboration is important to scientific research, and both I and Dr Voskarides see the establishment of this facility as a means by which collaboration with researchers across Cyprus and beyond can be facilitated’.
There are currently two projects that Dr Achilleos and Dr Voskarides will begin. The first revolves around the effects of anti-seizure medication on neurodevelopment during pregnancy. The second will address the question of why genetic mutations causing cancer are still found in the human population.
Besides the scientific research, the zebrafish facility also aims to be part of student education through laboratory courses and research opportunities for students throughout the year.
The first fish arrived in mid-October, and research and educational activities are set to begin soon after the colony is established.
