The NRC houses an internationally recognized, Canadian Council on Animal Care certified, innovative zebrafish research facility, where we've developed and validated a range of assays, methods and disease models for chemical testing and industry-specific applications.
Genetic research shows high conservation between human genomes and zebrafish, making these tiny fish ideal models for generating biologically relevant information in a diverse range of research fields.
In our facility, researchers from our Aquatic and Crop Resource Development Research Centre use the zebrafish model to identify and characterize the bioactivity and therapeutic potential of known and novel chemicals for use in human disease treatment.
In addition, zebrafish are regarded internationally as a toxicological testing model that can be used for general, preclinical and ecotoxicological testing.
Why team up with us
We provide both standardized and customizable testing models and methods for assessing the bioactivity of a range of substances that contain not only purified compounds but also biological extracts and complex mixtures.
We can accommodate collaborative research and testing of service projects that focus on evaluating toxicological and pharmacological activity in the areas of natural health products and human health therapeutics. Zebrafish provide a powerful model at between 0.1% and 1% of the cost of traditional rodent models, that can help companies prioritize their leads and uncover potential obstacles before reaching the stage of more expensive testing models and methods.
The zebrafish model also has the added advantage of requiring small quantities of test compound, allowing for early identification of lead drug candidates and potential unforeseen complications associated with test material and customized disease models through transgenesis and genome modification.
Advantages of zebrafish
- Fully sequenced genome
- >70% of human genes have a zebrafish homolog
- Numerous transgenic lines available
- Mapping of structures based on cell type (green fluorescent protein labels)
- Knock-down, knock-in, humanized
- Genome editing
- ZFNs, TALENS, CRISPR/Cas9 system
- Rapid rate of reproduction
- Hundreds of eggs per female per mating session
- Mature to adults in 3 months
- Allows for rapid generation of transgenic zebrafish and a large number for testing
- Large transparent embryos
- Early embryonic/developmental testing
- Develop to larvae in 5 to 7 days post-fertilization
- Distinct patterns of behaviour by 5 days post-fertilization
- All major organ systems present except lungs
- Transparent larvae and a pigment-free transgenic line
- Allows for easy monitoring of organs and internal structures
What we offer
- Systems-level testing approach: bioactivity
- Toxicity profiling
- General, ecotoxicological and preclinical models
- Transcriptomic testing
- Uptake analysis: adsorption, metabolism and excretion
- Disease model testing
- Cancer xenografts: monitor tumour growth and metastases in transparent larvae/fish
- Seizures
- Nociception (pain)
- Stress
- Parkinson's disease
- Lead candidate identification
- Diverse model systems
- Developmental, larval and adult testing
- Compound-specific delivery
- Bath, intravenous or intracerebroventricular delivery
- Feed trials
- Model system capable of testing a broad range of compounds using multiple, distinct, techniques
- Identification of mechanism of action
- Multifaceted experimental techniques and readouts
- Acute and chronic exposure
- Concentration response
- Lethality (LD50)
- Effective concentration (EC50)
- Therapeutic index
- High throughput, sensitive behavioural models
- Omics techniques (genetically tractable model)
- High resolution microscopy
- Molecular biological readouts
Image gallery
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Contact us
Fabrice Berrue
Email: Fabrice.Berrue@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca
Media Relations
National Research Council of Canada
Email: NRC.MediaRelations-RelationsMedias.CNRC@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca