Zebrafish

"The zebrafish (Danio rerio) has recently emerged as a novel model system to study the immune system. In comparison to mammalian models, zebrafish are easy to genetically manipulate, highly prolific, and inexpensive to maintain in large numbers. Due to their embryonic transparency and external development, the use of zebrafish permits live visualization of developmental processes and cellular interactions without physiological disruption of tissues and organs. These features make zebrafish a potentially useful model for the study of immunological processes. In addition, the validation of zebrafish as a model to study immune responses will allow us to exploit additional powerful tools, including forward genetic and pharmacological screens."