The zebrafish has become an increasingly prevalent model: but in this series we are going to dive deeper, discussing their unique benefits.
As personalized medicine and the discovery of de novo variants that cause disease continue to grow, researchers are increasingly in need of alternative models
As personalized medicine and the discovery of de novo variants that cause disease continue to grow, researchers are increasingly in need of alternative models
As personalized medicine and the discovery of de novo variants that cause disease continue to grow, researchers are increasingly in need of alternative models
As personalized medicine and the discovery of de novo variants that cause disease continue to grow, researchers are increasingly in need of alternative models
The zebrafish has become an increasingly prevalent model: but in this series we are going to dive deeper, discussing their unique benefits.
Gut microbiota impacts nearly every aspect of health, but researching it can be tricky due to differences between humans and commonly used model organisms, as well as interindividual variability in humans. A relatively new model, zebrafish have become a gold-standard model for biomedical research, and are especially used to study host-microbe interactions. In this article we will discuss zebrafish’s contribution to recent microbiota research and the features that make them particularly well-suited for studying the host-microbe interactions.
Inflammation in your intestine is detrimental to overall health, and can create many complications. So how is this phenomenon researched?
Zebrafish have an astonishing capacity for organ and appendage regrowth and could unlock the possibilities of human tissue regeneration.
The FDA announced animal testing no longer necessary for drug discovery. In this article we discuss the implications for USA’s drug pipeline.
The zebrafish has become an increasingly prevalent model: but in this series we are going to dive deeper, discussing their unique benefits.
The zebrafish has become an increasingly prevalent model: but in this series we are going to dive deeper, discussing their unique benefits.
Traditional modeling of patient variants in vivo has two limitations which can be overcome utilizing InVivo Biosystems’ patented WHAM-method.
Dr Quintana chose to leverage InVivo Biosystems’ fully validated custom injection mixes to create point mutations that target the protein HFC1 in zebrafish
Current in vivo platforms are limited in their ability to identify drug candidates – Whole-gene Humanized Animal Models can help.
In this article we discuss what President Biden’s New Executive Order means for America’s place in the biotech and biomanufacturing fields.
Summary Rare diseases are just that: rare. However, when combined rare diseases affect 3.5% – 5.9% of the worldwide population, and present a growing healthcare
In this article we will discuss the collection of new gut-brain publications, and how their findings could influence the approach and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis (MS).
We are excited to announce that the USPTO has issued a patent titled, ‘Transgenic animal phenotyping platform and uses thereof’ to InVivo Biosystems.
Drs Pruyne & Amack leveraged InVivo Biosystems’ Custom Injection Mix to design and create a novel zebrafish line.
Summary: Plant-based eating has exploded in popularity in the past few years, boasting advantages for individuals’ health as well as the environment. However, the
Summary: Humans have been interested in extending our lifespans for centuries, from quests to find the fountain of youth, to Alchemists attempting to determine the
Summary: Parkinson’s disease [PD] is a progressive, debilitating condition which affects over 10 million people worldwide. Being such an impactful, and costly disease (~$52 billion
Summary: As we have discussed in previous blogs, Dietary Supplements are a booming industry, valued at $54 billion in the USA alone. Despite their growing popularity, however,
Summary: This past April, Senators Richard Durbin (D-IL) and Mike Braun (R-IN) introduced the Dietary Supplement Listing Act of 2022. The first piece of legislation to propose regulations
Summary: Over the past decade the microbiome has become known as an important modulator of human health, and research in the field has skyrocketed: publications
Summary: We have previously discussed how the advancement of genomics technology has led to an increase in variants of unknown significance (VUS), and how important it
Summary: The Western Medical Community has long viewed acupuncture with skepticism, but increasingly physicians are exploring the potential benefits of this traditional practice. In fact,
Summary Inflammation’s role in diseases has become increasingly apparent, with inflammatory responses being linked to diseases as common as arthritis, and as debilitating as Parkinson’s.
Summary: Natural products (bioactive compounds derived from natural resources, most predominantly plants) have been used in medicines, notably ayurvedic and chinese medicine, for
What determines your microbiome composition? In this article we discuss how childhood environment affects microbiome development.
Over the past several years, we have seen a huge increase in clients who are turning to us to help test the efficacy of their
Summary Pets have been shown to improve human health by lowering blood pressure and cortisol levels (a stress-related hormone) (NIH, 2018). But could they also
Summary: This Earth Month we at InVivo Biosystems are thinking about how we utilize Earth’s resources in biomedicine – from animal systems that enable us
Here at InVivo Biosystems we spend a lot of time thinking, and talking, about genome editing. We thought it would be fun to compile a list of our frequently used terms – so here they are, our ABCs of genetic research.
In this white paper we will discuss the advantages and limitations of zebrafish and ask: is a zebrafish model right for my research?
In this whitepaper we discuss the advantages and limitations of C. elegans, and ask the question: is a C. elegans model right for my research?
In this article we discuss the rise in gut dysbiosis, and new risk factors: microplastics, consumption of supplements, and chronic stress.
In this article, we will discuss the commonly used model organisms for microbiome research, and what insights they can provide.
Summary A recent publication by Crouzier et al. emphasized the utility of zebrafish as a model for investigating rare diseases – enabling better understanding of
This article will discuss recent findings, and how similar studies present an exciting and promising future for currently incurable diseases.
Turmeric has become a buzzword in the health community, its market size growing immensely in the past few years: approximately doubling from $50.3 million in 2017 to $97 million in 2020, and is expected to continue this growth, jumping to $191.89 million by 2028 (Grand View Research, 2021; Schultz, 2021). But what separates turmeric from other health fads like the routinely debunked ‘celery juice detox’ trend?
Summary Zebrafish models largely began as a way to research developmental biology, however, their potential to be a preclinical model of human disease quickly became
Summary: Neuroscience has a long history of working with sea animals as they often have large, easily accessible neurons with more simplistic neural networks than mammals.
When working with C. elegans it is vital that you can deftly handle them. Worm picking, however, is a skill where practice makes perfect. At InVivo Biosystems, we have been working with C. elegans for more than 8 years, and our scientists will share some of their tips and tricks for worm picking in this article. Read on!
Recently, researchers at Cleveland Clinic’s Genomic Medicine Institute published an article in Nature Aging which has caused quite a stir in the medical community and media – in the article these researchers report that an analysis of over 7 million people, spanning six years, found that those taking the Erectile dysfunction (ED) drug sildenafil (marketed as Viagra) were 69% less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease (AD). This being said, there are some important caveats to this study – and so, although media reports on this study include lines such as “the little blue pill could soon be prescribed to tackle dementia”, more realistic implications should be the takeaway (but not less exciting!).
While the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted us all, it isn’t a mystery that it has disproportionately impacted parents who have faced added stress, work-from-home situations, and unpredictable school / daycare closures. A recent article in Science stressed that the pandemic was particularly disruptive for parents working in a scientific field, and that these effects would be felt for years into the future – as it takes approximately three years for research to go from the concept-stage to publication. Here at InVivo Biosystems our parents are reflecting on the challenges and triumphs they have faced over the last two years.
Beyond research into vaccines and traditional therapeutics, the medical community is exploring other ways of helping to prevent, and reduce, symptoms of COVID-19. One promising supplement is a common probiotic. In this article we will discuss the studies that have been conducted, their findings, and answer the question: who could benefit from taking probiotics?
As we enter 2022, we are reflecting on the exciting projects we’ve been involved with over the past few years, and the engrossing conversations we’ve had. To hear full-length versions of these conversations check out our 17 Minutes of Science podcast page.
Experiments fall into three categories – in vivo, in vitro, and in silico studies, and all of them have a different, but important role in research. This article will give a brief definition of each category and an overview of their research applications.
Pharmaceutical drugs go through a rigorous process that tests their safety and efficacy before gaining FDA approval and being put on the commercial market. Traditionally, preclinical trials utilize mammalian models before clinical trials are performed (mammals are considered the gold standard of trials). But are these trials serving everyone? This article will discuss the pervasive inequality between the male and female sexes in drug development and what can be done about it.
In 2020 a new method of inserting transgenes into the genome of C, elegans was introduced to the field, and was quickly adopted by InVivo Biosystems. In this article we will discuss the new Split hygromycin method, how it differs from the traditional MosSCI method, and what benefits this new method has both for us in the InVivo Biosystems lab, and for our customers.
In this article we will explore how the nutraceutical regulations compare in the USA and abroad, asking how they are defined in each country, what licensing is needed, how this affects manufacturers, and what this indicates for the future of the market.
When asked how someone died, ‘they died of old age’ is an acceptable answer – it is given as the cause, like a heart attack, stroke, or cancer. However, unlike these other answers, aging is not classified as a disease. But should it be? This article will discuss the debate over whether aging should be considered a disease, the arguments for and against such a classification, what it would mean from a clinical standpoint, and how it would transform the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries.
We’ve rounded up some of the recent publications that we’ve been enjoying – click their links below to see what’s new in this space!
Humans are living longer than any other time in history, but what is the quality of life during these years? This article will discuss lifespan and health: what are they, how are they different, and how are they connected?
Recently, the life science operating platform Scispot released its list of the Top 5 Zebrafish CROs in the World, with InVivo Biosystems at the top of the list!
Dr. Marius Galyan is the founder and CEO of Galyan Bio, Inc., a research company on a mission to discover new therapies for neurodegenerative diseases,
Tauopathies are a type of neurodegenerative disease which get their name from the accumulation of Tau protein that occurs in all of them; these diseases include Alzhiemer’s disease (AD), Pick’s disease, progressive supranuclear palsy, and post-encephalitic parkinsonism, and more. Although there has been a concerted effort to better understand and treat Tau protein aggregation, all tau-targeting therapeutics developed so far have failed. This lack of discovery in the field suggests a better approach is needed to understand Tau protein. In a recent paper, Giong, Subramanian, Yu & Lee (2021) make the case for non-rodent models as a way forwards.
What is the microbiome? How does it help or hinder health? And, what does recent research indicate? We’ve all had that regret: “oh, I should
This article reviews the history of the zebrafish, and discusses the scenarios when other fish species are advantageous.
In this article we aim to clarify the intent behind these therapies and what their labelling means by asking: Why aren’t nutraceutical products FDA approved? How do FDA and FTC approvals compare? And — how should you market your product? What legal issues do both tracks pose?
The recent advancements of CRISPR and next-generation technology has enabled researchers to create more precise zebrafish models of human disease. This being said, knock-in (KI) techniques in zebrafish still aren’t fully optimized. In this article we discuss the current state of CRISPR-Cas9-mediated targeted knock-ins in zebrafish, and what the future holds.
Mutations in the STXBP1 gene are implicated in childhood epilepsies and several neurodevelopmental disorders, however, nearly half of the STXBP1 variants recorded in the ClinVar database are Variants of Unknown Significance (VUS). In a recent publication, members of the InVivo Biosystems team discussed their work creating humanized C. elegans that expressed STXBP1 in order to classify variants as benign or pathogenic.
Summary Dr. Robyn Tanguay is a distinguished professor at Oregon State University, and a collaborator with InVivio Biosystems. Dr. Tangauy utilizes zebrafish to study toxicology,
The FDA’s emergency use authorization (EUA) of the COVID-19 vaccines has brought the approval process of vaccines and drugs into public consciousness, however, the FDA’s ability to streamline medical products is not new. In this article we will discuss the history of the drug development pipeline, and ways it can be improved.
Getting a drug to market is notoriously difficult, taking 7-10 years and costing hundreds of millions of dollars. This, coupled with the Covid-19 pandemic’s impact on clinical trials, may make you wonder whether your drug is eligible for an expedited track. In this article we will discuss the current ways of expediting drugs, and which is best for your research.
Aducanumab has been plagued with controversy since it was announced. We take a look to see if it is helpful, or just expedient.
Summary Rising healthcare costs mean it’s time for pharmaceutical companies to use non-mammalian models in their drug development process – by saving time and money
The development of CRISPR-Cas9 editing has allowed researchers to quickly create precise gene knockouts (KO), but while CRISPR-Cas9 KOs have been highly publicized, are the different methods understood? In this article we will discuss the two available methods for creating knockout models using the CRISPR-Cas9 technology: their advantages and limitations, and how they are being used in research.
Using the models provided by InVivo Biosystems, the Starr & Luxton Labs were able to focus their efforts on understanding and evaluating the variants and complete their project in a timely manner.
Summary In the age of industries continuously creating and remodeling chemicals, having a reliable way to test their toxicity is vital. At the same time,
The Undiagnosed Diseases Network UND is a nationwide network that is working to understand and diagnose rare and undiagnosed human diseases. The UND coordinates between research and clinical experts, using the latest genetic and genomic technologies to create a more personalized medicine model.
Summary COVID-19 has broadly impacted biomedical research, in this article we give an overview of its effect on labs and discuss how this can shine
The Undiagnosed Diseases Network brings together experts across the USA, combining clinical care and research to find diagnoses for undiagnosed patients. Zebrafish are extremely valuable disease models in this research, as they reduce the cost and speed up the process of identifying therapeutic targets. In this blog we highlight one rare disease whose mechanism was successfully identified using zebrafish.
In the scientific community there is an emphasis on positive results: getting published, having a drug be approved, etc. However, crucial learning happens when experiments don’t work – in fact, these “failures” may be some of the most important learning experiences. In this article we discuss the need to shift the focus from failing less, to failing faster and some of the resources available to researchers so they can expedite their own work.
A common saying in science is that, “good science and good animal welfare go hand in hand.” In this article we provide an overview of the 3Rs (Replacement, Reduction and Refinement: guiding principles for the humane use of animals in research), look specifically at the UK’s well-documented implementation of them, and discuss how new techniques and technologies can continue to improve animal welfare.
Humanized animal models are becoming more widely used as new gene editing techniques become available and there is a push for a more personalized approach to medicine, but what exactly is humanization? In this article we discuss the history, the types of humanized models, and how they can be applied to your research.
New ‘humanized models’ have the potential to revolutionize the study of clinical diseases, creating models with higher validity than more traditional models. This in turn has the power to expedite getting results from the bench to the bedside. In this article we will discuss the current state of animal models and the future that humanized models make possible; as an example, we will specifically focus on the models of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD).
Until the 1800s life expectancy across Europe averaged between 30-40 years, now the average life expectancy in the USA is almost 78 years, and our
Developing an analysis strategy up front in parallel with experimental design is key to avoiding costly errors down the road.
Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive, debilitating disease that accounts for 60-80% of all dementia cases, however, it remains untreatable. In this blog, we provide an overview of many commonly used organisms for modeling AD, and compare their advantages and limitations.
The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has provided remarkable insights into the biology of aging. The precisely measurable lifespan of worms has proven to be an efficient tool to assess the impact of various genetic, physiological and environmental factors on organismal aging. Lifespan assays can be labor intensive and time consuming. In this article, we will highlight the critical considerations that could make or break your lifespan assay. Our aim is to help you interpret a variety of different procedures by emphasizing the crucial considerations to ensure the success of running a lifespan assay.
According to the Epilepsy Foundation 1 in 26 people in the U.S.A will develop epilepsy at some point in their life, however, epilepsy is a very diverse condition which makes researching it especially challenging. In this blog, we will discuss the model organisms commonly used in epilepsy research, and how their characteristics act as advantages and limitations when modeling epilepsy.
Model organisms are essential to experimental research, allowing researchers and scientists to address a variety of questions. While no model is perfect, some models are more suitable for investigating specific questions than others. In this blog, we provide an overview of many commonly used model organisms, and compare their advantages and limitations.
Neurological disorders are extremely widespread, affecting over 1 billion people worldwide, and have debilitating effects, impacting the brain, spinal cord, cranial nerves, and peripheral nerves. Despite this, many neurological disorders lack effective treatment. One strategy that offers an attractive way to find better therapies is drug repurposing. Also known as drug reprofiling or drug repositioning, drug repurposing identifies new purposes for pre-existing compounds, and offers reduced time frames, decreased costs, and improved success rates. While drug repurposing for neurological disorders has gained attention in the past decade, it is still an underused approach. In this article we will discuss drug repurposing, its benefits, its place in neurological drug research, and its recent success.
A new finding has set the Alzheimer’s research world abuzz: a 73- year old woman with extremely high risk for AD, yet who doesn’t have it
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An expert in CRISPR genome editing, InVivo Biosystems creates custom genome-edited C. elegans and zebrafish models to enable aging, developmental, and disease studies. Our unique in vivo platforms and technologies bridge the gap between cells and mice.
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