Zebrafish

Zebrafish have emerged as a powerful model system for understanding vertebrate development.

In addition to experimental embryology, zebrafish are one of the few vertebrate model systems that are easily amenable to classical genetic approaches. Advantages of the zebrafish include:

  •  small size

  •  relatively short generation times

  •  embryo transparency

  •  external development allowing easy manipulation

  •  advanced genetics, including transgenesis and CRISPR

  •  full-length, annotated genome nearing completion

We use many of these advantages as well as lineage analyses, cell ablation, and cell transplantation to study development of the cranial placodes and ganglia , the lateral line system, and axonal transport in zebrafish.