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InVivo Biosystems Blog

Better Together? Zebrafish and Mice Models should be utilized in Conjunction.

As personalized medicine and the discovery of de novo variants that cause disease continue to grow, researchers are increasingly in need of alternative models
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A humanized Caenorhabditis elegans model of Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia [Where are they now: Customer Story]

The zebrafish has become an increasingly prevalent model: but in this series we are going to dive deeper, discussing their unique benefits.

For Studying Host-Microbe Interactions, Why Choose Zebrafish?

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
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Leaky Gut Assays in Animal Models

Inflammation in your intestine is detrimental to overall health, and can create many complications. So how is this phenomenon researched?
zebrafish as a unique model to research organ regeneration

As a Researcher, Why Choose Zebrafish? Unique Models: Organ Regeneration

Zebrafish have an astonishing capacity for organ and appendage regrowth and could unlock the possibilities of human tissue regeneration.
No animals, new drugs, no problem

New drugs, No Animals, No Problem. The FDA announced legislative changes – drugs are no longer required to be tested in animals before moving to human trials. What does that mean?

The FDA announced animal testing no longer necessary for drug discovery. In this article we discuss the implications for USA’s drug pipeline.
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Zebrafish researchers lack enough tools to efficiently and accurately quantify immune responses. Monoclonal antibodies could change that.

The zebrafish has become an increasingly prevalent model: but in this series we are going to dive deeper, discussing their unique benefits.
why chose zebrafish as a model

As a Researcher, Why Choose Zebrafish?

The zebrafish has become an increasingly prevalent model: but in this series we are going to dive deeper, discussing their unique benefits.
WHAM with CRISPR - re-imaging how rare disease therapeutics are developed

Whole-gene Humanized Animal Models (WHAM) with CRISPR – Re-imagining how Rare Disease therapeutics are developed

Traditional modeling of patient variants in vivo has two limitations which can be overcome utilizing InVivo Biosystems’ patented WHAM-method.

America is finally investing in Biotechnology & Biomanufacturing in a Big Way

In this article we discuss what President Biden’s New Executive Order means for America’s place in the biotech and biomanufacturing fields.

Is our Brain Health Reliant on our Gut?

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

[Patent Announcement] InVivo Biosystems has officially been issued a patent on WHAM-humanization in the nematode, C. elegans

We are excited to announce that the USPTO has issued a patent titled, ‘Transgenic animal phenotyping platform and uses thereof’ to InVivo Biosystems.

Looking at Gene Paralogs across both zebrafish and C. elegans Model Organisms [Customer Story]

Drs Pruyne & Almack leveraged InVivo Biosystems’ Custom Injection Mix to design and create a novel zebrafish line.

Healthy Aging and Longevity Research is on the Rise – which is the Best Model Organism to use?

Chemicals Models of Parkinson’s Disease in Larval Zebrafish

Review: How a Small Worm is Helping Uncover the Pathogenicity of Gene Variants

Using Zebrafish as a Model for Opioid Addiction with Dr. Gabriel Bossé (University of Utah)

A Natural Fit – Using Zebrafish to Evaluate Natural Compounds for Anti-Inflammatory Properties

Temperature & C. elegans Part Two: How does Temperature affect development?

Summary: We recently published a piece on the importance of temperature in C.elegans which got the whole InVivio Biosystems team thinking about C. elegans’ development,

Zebrafish 101: A White Paper

In this white paper we will discuss the advantages and limitations of zebrafish and ask: is a zebrafish model right for my research?

C. elegans 101: A White Paper

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?

Does everyone have digestive issues? — Gut dysbiosis is on the rise.

In this article we discuss the rise in gut dysbiosis, and new risk factors: microplastics, consumption of supplements, and chronic stress.
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Models to Research Microbiome

In this article, we will discuss the commonly used model organisms for microbiome research, and what insights they can provide.

Review Of Zebrafish Models To Boost Research In Rare Genetic Diseases

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Nutraceuticals & New approaches to DMD treatment

This article will discuss recent findings, and how similar studies present an exciting and promising future for currently incurable diseases.
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Lost and Found: Zebrafish as a Drug Discovery Tool

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

Neuroscience Models: Transgenic Mice, Zebrafish, C. Elegans – And Jellyfish?

How Probiotics are Being Used to Combat COVID-19

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

What’s Tau Got to Do With it?

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

Modeling Gut Microbiome Effects In Alternative Animal Models – Finding The Happy Biota For A Long And Healthy Life

One Fish in a Large Pond: History of the Zebrafish and Other Fish Models for Research Applications

This article reviews the history of the zebrafish, and discusses the scenarios when other fish species are advantageous.

A Gene Replacement Humanization Platform for Rapid Functional Testing of Clinical Variants in Epilepsy-associated STXBP1

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

Rising Healthcare Costs? Non-Mammalian Models To The Rescue

Creating Transgenic C. elegans Models For Clinical Variants of Unknown Significance [Customer Story]

Using the models provided by InVivo Biosystems, the Starr & Luxton Labs were able to focus their efforts on understanding and evaluating the variants and

Toxicity Screening: A New Generation Of Models

What the Undiagnosed Diseases Network is, How it Works, and How InVivo Biosystems is Doing its Part

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

The Lasting Effects Of COVID-19 On Research Labs

From Unknown to Known: How the Zebrafish Model is Playing a Vital Role in the Undiagnosed Diseases Network

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

The Application of Hypersensitivity Assays to the Discovery of Therapeutics

Using Humanization we can take advantage of the ancient biology between humans and other organisms to create stand-ins – patient avatars – for drug screening

The 3Rs of Animal Research: Are the guidelines working? How can we do better?

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

So What is Humanization?

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

The Good, Bad and the Ugly of Reactive Oxygen Species

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are free radicals that have been found to extend lifespan at low levels, however, they are lethal at higher doses. So

The Next Generation of Animal Models: Humanized Models

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

An Updated Comparison of Common Model Organisms Part 3: Organisms for Modeling Alzheimer’s Disease

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

An Updated Comparison of Common Model Organisms Part 2: Organisms for Modeling Epilepsy

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

An Updated Comparison of Common Model Organisms

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

Alzheimer’s – Have we been approaching it all wrong?

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

Whole Gene Humanization for Personalized Medicine Applications

We have found whole gene humanization can create a platform for highly translatable results in a model organism. Currently there is a big need for

Why C. elegans are ideal for Disease Modeling [Infographic]

Did you know C. elegans are an ideal model for disease modeling? It may seem unlikely that such a tiny animal would work well for

How to Design a Good Phenotype Based Drug Discovery Program, and Why It Matters.

With the advent of the molecular biology revolution and the human genome project in the 1990s there was a historic shift toward target-based drug

90 Mutations with 1 Gene: Functional Analysis of Variants Using C. elegans

We created over 90 point mutations in the STXBP1 gene via CRISPR. A map of these point mutations can be seen above. Clinical variants

Understanding GPCRs Using Humanized C. elegans

Our CSO, Dr. Chris Hopkins presented at DR. GPCR SUMMIT 2020 on why C. elegans is an ideal model to study the underlying principles of GPCRs.

Zebrafish Modeling Of SARS-CoV-2 Susceptibility In Rare Disease

The Need for Animal Models in COVID-19 Research

Our CSO recently helped write a letter expressing the need for animal models in COVID-19 research

Research Spotlight: Summer Sun Safety Month

C. elegans and Zebrafish have been used to study the effects of ultraviolet radiation (UVR) for decades. August is Summer Sun Safety Month so in

Longevity Studies Using C. elegans to Identify Potential Anti-Aging Compounds [Customer Story]

Dr. Vollmer shares his experience working with us and how the Longevity Platform delivers the results he needs within his timeline and budget.

A View From the Bench: Roadblocks and Frustrations When Expectation Meets Reality.

In an effort to create better models for epilepsy, we’ve been working on a grant-funded project to humanize important synaptic machinery by replacing endogenous coding

Research Spotlight: Alzheimer’s Disease

June is Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness Month. We wanted to take a few moments to spotlight some of the awe-inspiring research on Alzheimer’s disease taking

Seventeen Minutes of Science: Viral Gene Therapies and Their Potential Use Against COVID-19

Tune in weekly to our virtual series “Seventeen Minutes of Science” every Tuesday at 11am PST / 2pm ET where we go live on Facebook

Alzheimer’s Awareness Month [Infographic]

The Importance of COVID-19 Environmental Testing

Originally posted on the Enviral Tech website. Read it on their site here. Why you should start testing your facilities for COVID-19 now As COVID-19

Bacteria, Protozoa And Nematodes, Oh My!: Seeking New Drugs Against COVID-19

Seventeen Minutes of Science: Modeling Human Diseases in Zebrafish (Episode 4)

Seventeen Minutes of Science: The More Models the Merrier – Zebrafish & C. elegans Working Together (Episode 3)

Seventeen Minutes of Science: Virology & World Health (Episode 2)

Zebrafish modeling for the clinic: Rapid in vivo functional testing of patient variants for clinical applications.

We use the zebrafish (Danio rerio) as an in vivo model to measure the functional effects of patient-derived genetic variation.  In this way, human genetic variants identified

Zebrafish and C. elegans in ALS: tightening the bench-to-clinic gap

While advances in molecular imaging, high-throughput screening, genomics and techniques like CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing have dramatically enhanced our understanding of the human body and disease,

CRISPR technologies enable humanized animal models to aid disease research

C. elegans as a model to evaluate the function of disease genes In 1998, the soil nematode Caenorhabditis elegans became the first multicellular organism of

Arg…What’s up with that? Arginine is Enriched in Pathogenic Variants

Our CSO explores a theory he has about the amino acid arginine which seems to be showing frequent association with pathogenicity.

Where the Lead Leads: Seeking Mechanisms of Action in C. elegans for Neurotoxic Effects of Lead

Neurotoxin exposure is implicated in the etiology of neurodegenerative diseases including Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). Traditionally, vertebrate animals such as

The Precisome™ Platform Bridges the ACDY5 Diagnostic Gap

NemaMetrix is the market leader for early preclinical in-vivo testing using small animal models to gain a better understanding of the efficacy, mode of action,

[Review] The Human Avatar

NemaMetrix is the market leader for early preclinical in-vivo testing using small animal models to gain a better understanding of the efficacy, mode of action,

Reviewers’ Choice Abstract Award at ASHG Goes to Ben Jussila for Demonstrating how Zebrafish Can be Used for Disease Modeling

Bayer and NemaMetrix present C. elegans results at Parasitic Helminths conference in Greece

How are extreme weather events, such as Hurricane Katrina, spreading heartworms and other parasitic nematodes and what are the implications of their spread?

Hurricanes and Heartworms; Extreme Weather Events Spread Worms

How are extreme weather events, such as Hurricane Katrina, spreading heartworms and other parasitic nematodes and what are the implications of their spread?

The Evolution of Drug Resistance; an Issue of “When, not if”

Drug resistance in many pathogens — viruses, bacteria, protozoa, parasitic worms and more — presents a growing and potentially catastrophic challenge to human and animal

Total Domination – Uncovering the Phenomenon of 1:2 Dominant vs Recessive ratio for Variation in the Genome

Our CSO revisits his Veritas Genomic Sequencing report for a closer look at how significant some of the discovered variants are

[Case Study] Exploring the Potential

NemaMetrix is the market leader for early preclinical in-vivo testing using small animal models to gain a better understanding of the efficacy, mode of action,

A New Approach to Anti-Aging Research

The shift towards preventive medicine has given anti-aging startups a favorable environment in pursuing longevity and aging issues. The nematode C. elegans has emerged to

[Case Study] From Worm to Pre-Clinical Data

NemaMetrix is the market leader for early preclinical in-vivo testing using small animal models to gain a better understanding of the efficacy, mode of action,

Worming into Relevance – How C. elegans Can Help us Understand Human Health

Animal testing in the research-based pharmaceutical industry has been reduced in recent years both for ethical and cost reasons. However, it is still a staple

Genomic baggage – What are the skeletons rattling in your genetic closet?

When you receive your genomic report, you have a movement of trepidation.What will it say? Will it have something that says you should do countermeasures

What Can Zebrafish Tell us About CRISPR Off-Target Activity?

In 2017, a now-redacted paper published in Nature Methods claimed that CRISPR created hundreds of unintended mutations in mouse models, and that algorithms designed to

C. elegans showing its weight in neuro-toxicology research

The Humanized Worm [Infographic]

Humanized model organisms are powerful biological models that allow scientists to study human disease genes in simpler contexts without losing the value of in vivo

The Unnecessary Procedure – A Problem with False Positives in Genomic Testing

There is a significant pressure to increase diagnostic yield and it has its consequences. BRCA testing is probably the most developed ecosystem for genetic tests

Using C. elegans to study parasitism

C. elegans is one of the most powerful model organisms and has been used to unravel several key genetic pathways. The C. elegans nematode has been used

Child Neurology Meeting: Bernard Sachs Award to William B. Dobyns and Precision Medicine in Epilepsy Lecture

The Child Neurology Society honored William (Bill) Dobyns for his highly impactful efforts in characterizing child neurology. In a prolific and highly influential carrier, Bill

Explosive Growth of Gene Variant Numbers

Genetic Testing Clinical geneticists have an acute need to understand pathogenicity in genomes of their patients (Figure 1). Cost per human genome has now approached

Systems for Improving Diagnostic Yield of Genomic Sequence Analysis

How to better understanding Variants of Uncertain Significance in epilepsy and help find new therapeutic approaches Did you know that 1 in 26 people will

A New Era of Transgenics in Parasitic Nematodes

One of the most commonly known nematodes in the scientific community is Caenorhabditis elegans. Ever since Sydney Brenner introduced it as a model organism to

Dealing with Uncertain Significance of the Genome

“Risky Business” Most of us are wired to be risk averse. Yet, I have been giving serious contemplation to the “risky business” of having my whole

C. elegans as Fast and Affordable System for Variant Phenotyping

Systems for Functional Studies A variety of modeling systems can be used to explore variant function. Initially, many researchers turn to a computational approach to

Worming into Relevance – Human disease models in the C. elegans nematode

The philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche once said: “You have evolved from worm to man, but much within you is still worm.” Genetic diversity in individuals and
KCNQ2 epilepsy gene

Functional analysis of variants to aid understanding of children’s epilepsy

Performing sequence analysis on a patient with a suspected genetic disease is becoming a standard of care. However, when a genetic variation is identified as

KCNQ2 Cures Summit – Patient Family Passion and Involvement

The passion to find answers is inspiring. I had the good fortune to attend the KCNQ2 Cure Summit 2018. Meeting the patient families and seeing

Worming into Relevance – Human disease models in the C. elegans nematode

The philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche once said: “You have evolved from worm to man, but much within you is still worm.” Genetic diversity in individuals and

Properties of Top 20 Epilepsy Genes

Epilepsy Genetics 1 out of 100 persons is living with active epilepsy (Zack and Kobau 2017, WHO 2018). For the subset that can be pinned

DD News features NemaMetrix in its latest issue on Animal Models of Disease

The latest issue of Drug Discovery News (DDNews) features a special report on Animal Models of Disease, highlighting the NemaMetrix/Knudra merger and the value of
Dr. Andy Golden

Unlocking the Potential of C. elegans for the Study of Rare Disease

Dr. Andy Golden at NIH discusses his work on identifying regulators and interactors of conserved genes in C. elegans that, when mutated, can cause human disease
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