ADDING ANOTHER DIMENSION TO LIFE

The thought of being able to watch how internal organs and tissues of an organism develop in three-dimensions without actually cutting open the organism may sound a bit like sci-fi, but the technology is actually here and researchers at the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute (VCCRI) have for the first time used it to create a complete egg to adult library of images for the common Zebrafish.
 
There has been a lot of interest shown in the Zebrafish recently as it has been found to be a good model of human diseases ranging from drug and alcohol addiction to cancer, muscular dystrophy and heart disease.

"Zebrafish have a number of qualities which make them an ideal model to study human conditions" explained Associate Professor Currie who headed the research. "For example Zebrafish embryos are optically clear which allows us to directly view cell biological events, they can be genetically manipulated quite easily, and many aspects of their development are similar to our own.

"However detailed anatomical information for larval, juvenile and adult Zebrafish is limited which in turn makes it difficult to understand how certain diseases progress".

To address this problem Associate Professor Currie?s lab developed FishNet (www.FishNet.org.au), a public database, recently published in the journal BiomedCentral Biology, which contains three-dimensional models of Zebrafish from 24 hours of age to adulthood. The database will benefit both students and fellow researchers who now have access to quality images of all stages of the life of a Zebrafish. Significantly, it is the first complete embryo to adult library for any species in 3D.

"Traditional methods of looking at Zebrafish anatomy involve cutting sections of the fish and then looking at them under a microscope? said Dr Robert Bryson-Richardson lead researcher in Prof. Curries laboratory. "This is time consuming and for each different view you need to cut another fish."

"Creating a virtual fish in three dimensions allows you to virtually cut the fish and view these structures in any direction you need from only a single sample. Organ formation and growth occurs in three dimensions, and the ability to view these processes in 3D, using techniques such as this, will greatly facilitate our understanding". 

Associate Professor Currie?s lab is currently working on adding the Australian Lungfish to the library, creating virtual models of this endangered species to better catalogue its development and allow researchers around the world to examine these fish virtually without the need to catch them.
 

A virtual section through a three-dimensional model of a 16mm long Zebrafish (approximately 3 months old); clearly showing internal features such as the gut (G), kidney(K), liver(L), swim bladder(SB), brain(B), spine(S), spinal cord(SC) and heart(H).

Established in 1994, the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute (VCCRI) is committed to excellence in research into heart disease and cardiovascular biology, cardiovascular research training, and facilitating the rapid application of research discoveries to patient care.
To donate to the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute call (02) 8382 3022 or visit www.victorchang.com.au

Further Information:

Prue MacSween
Verve Communications
(02) 8234 4300 or 0417 635 045
 Vidya Muthanna
Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute
(02) 8382 3415 or 0409 393 686

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