What happens in this Center?
As its name implies, this Center facilitates the use of the zebrafish model system for faculty and students engaged in both research and teaching endeavors. Currently, multiple Smith College faculty have approved IACUC protocols in place for their lab’s research using zebrafish. Moreover, at least three different courses actively incorporate zebrafish into their curriculum. For instance, every semester students in the Neuroscience Experimental Methods course (NSC230) use zebrafish to probe the mechanisms of nervous system development and behavior with authentic research questions and designs. Lastly, the Center for ZebRaT plays a significant role in enabling outreach programs like “Student Scientists” that serve to enhance primary and secondary education throughout the Pioneer Valley.
The Zebrafish Facility
The Zebrafish Facility is approximately 770 square feet with a housing capacity range of 15,000 – 25,000 zebrafish depending on facility use strategies. The facility is equipped with a recirculating system engineering, installed and maintained by Aquaneering Inc. To reduce the chances of fish illnesses, the facility also has an isolated quarantine rack to house fish derived from other laboratories. Equipped with a mass-mating chamber for large clutch yields, two shelves with enclosed light boxes for time-dependent experiments, and plenty of bench space for pairwise and group zebrafish mating procedures, this Center is ready to leverage all the advantages of the Zebrafish to solve the questions of tomorrow’s science – basic and clinical alike. Most importantly, our fish are well cared for by two dedicated Animal Care Technicians following all IACUC procedures for the ethical care of animals. We are proud of our Center’s “AAALAC” accreditation.
Contact Information:
Director: Michael J.F. Barresi mbarresi@smith.edu
Animal Care Facility Manager: Heidi Denman hdenman@smith.edu
Watch a video on Zebrafish Controlled Mating Procedure