News Release

AZTI-Tecnalia coordinates a platform promoting the use of zebrafish in scientific research

Business Announcement

Elhuyar Fundazioa

This release is available in Spanish.

AZTI-Tecnalia is coordinating the First Spanish Technological Platform on the promotion of zebrafish as an animal model in all fields of scientific research. The platform, known as DareNET, has the support of the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation through the National Network Programme, and is administered by a Management Board formed by AZTI-Tecnalia, the Andalusian Biology Development Centre (CABD-CSIC), the Biomedical Research Park of Barcelona (PRBB), and the companies ZF BIOLABS and BIOBIDE.

Zebrafish (Danio rerio) is an excellent biological model used in a range of scientific areas spanning from biomedicine, environmental sciences, aquaculture, and food research. The use of the zebrafish is expanding rapidly thanks to its low maintenance costs, its ease of handling and reproduction, its high degree of genetic similarity with higher vertebrates and humans, and to the numerous genetic tools available.

The DareNET platform aims at promoting the use of the zebrafish animal model in Universities, Research Centres and biotechnological companies as an alternative to vertebrate models such as mice, which entail a greater cost and a far more complex handling. Moreover, it aims at specifically training the research personnel who work with this species to create standardized working procedures to consolidate and fostering its use in scientific work.

The DareNET platform has set up a website -www.daniorerio.net- that acts as a forum for sharing knowledge and experience among researchers using the zebrafish animal model .

Lastly, the DareNET platform is seeking to incorporate as members, all the organisations and research teams that use the zebrafish animal model, to become a hub for them all and serve, at the same time, to diffuse the great potential of this model in science and technology at national and international level.

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