The use of model organisms in science dates to ancient Greece and represents an important way humans have progressed our collective understanding of biology and disease. We’ve probably all heard of using mice, rats, or even Drosophila melanogaster (i.e., fruit flies) in the lab, but zebrafish have surged in their use as a model organism. Zebrafish are small, more cost effective to maintain, have a fast generational lifecycle, and have clear embryos that enable direct observation of their development. As is the case with any model system used across the globe, standards matter and help make results transferrable to other studies.  This is where our guests come into the picture.  

For this unique episode we’re joined by both Corbin Schuster and Zoltan Varga of Zebrafish International Resource Center (ZIRC) at the University of Oregon. In their roles, they help raise and maintain over 12,000 genetically unique zebrafish lines for use in studies across the globe.  We learn about the health monitoring they conduct on a regular basis to maintain their colony and support their own and partner studies using their zebrafish.  The conversation touches on: 

• Environmental DNA (eDNA) methods they employ 
• Assay development and method selection based on their need for sensitivity and specificity 
• The use of qPCR and dPCR in their work 
• Studies and monitoring of parasites and pathogens that affect their colony 
• How zebrafish have helped shift research from forward genetic studies to reverse genetic studies 

As always, you’ll also get to know our guests on a more personal level. We learn about how they each got into this line of work, what they love about it, and how they both value human relationships and helping their communities. Through the audio alone you’ll get a sense of the positive, kind, and collaborative attitudes that have helped them both be successful in their careers.  

Visit the Absolute Gene-ius page to learn more about the guests, the hosts, and the Applied Biosystems QuantStudio Absolute Q Digital PCR System.