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InVivo Biosystems Blog

Category: Disease Modeling

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

By:
Alexandra Narin ,
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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feature image for humanized customer story updates

A humanized Caenorhabditis elegans model of Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia [Where are they now: Customer Story]

By:
Alexandra Narin ,
The zebrafish has become an increasingly prevalent model: but in this series we are going to dive deeper, discussing their unique benefits.
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For Studying Host-Microbe Interactions, Why Choose Zebrafish?

By:
Alexandra Narin ,
Joseph Bruckner ,
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 feature image

Leaky Gut Assays in Animal Models

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

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

By:
Laura Taggart-Murphy ,
Alexandra Narin ,
Zebrafish have an astonishing capacity for organ and appendage regrowth and could unlock the possibilities of human tissue regeneration.
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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?

By:
Alexandra Narin ,
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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image of fluorescent zebrafish blog post image

Zebrafish researchers lack enough tools to efficiently and accurately quantify immune responses. Monoclonal antibodies could change that.

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

As a Researcher, Why Choose Zebrafish?

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

By:
Chris Hopkins ,
Alexandra Narin ,
Traditional modeling of patient variants in vivo has two limitations which can be overcome utilizing InVivo Biosystems’ patented WHAM-method.
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America is finally investing in Biotechnology & Biomanufacturing in a Big Way

By:
Alexandra Narin ,
In this article we discuss what President Biden’s New Executive Order means for America’s place in the biotech and biomanufacturing fields.
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Is our Brain Health Reliant on our Gut?

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

By:
Alexandra Narin ,
We are excited to announce that the USPTO has issued a patent titled, ‘Transgenic animal phenotyping platform and uses thereof’ to InVivo Biosystems.
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Looking at Gene Paralogs across both zebrafish and C. elegans Model Organisms [Customer Story]

By:
Alexandra Narin ,
Drs Pruyne & Almack leveraged InVivo Biosystems’ Custom Injection Mix to design and create a novel zebrafish line.
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Healthy Aging and Longevity Research is on the Rise – which is the Best Model Organism to use?

By:
Alexandra Narin ,
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Chemicals Models of Parkinson’s Disease in Larval Zebrafish

By:
Laura Taggart-Murphy ,
Alexandra Narin ,
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Review: How a Small Worm is Helping Uncover the Pathogenicity of Gene Variants

By:
Ben Jussila ,
Alexandra Narin ,
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Using Zebrafish as a Model for Opioid Addiction with Dr. Gabriel Bossé (University of Utah)

By:
Hannah Huston ,
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A Natural Fit – Using Zebrafish to Evaluate Natural Compounds for Anti-Inflammatory Properties

By:
Laura Taggart-Murphy ,
Alexandra Narin ,
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Temperature & C. elegans Part Two: How does Temperature affect development?

By:
Christine Kim ,
Thomas Adams ,
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,
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Zebrafish 101: A White Paper

By:
Alexandra Narin ,
In this white paper we will discuss the advantages and limitations of zebrafish and ask: is a zebrafish model right for my research?
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C. elegans 101: A White Paper

By:
Alexandra Narin ,
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?
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Does everyone have digestive issues? — Gut dysbiosis is on the rise.

By:
Alexandra Narin ,
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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microbiome models feature image

Models to Research Microbiome

By:
Alexandra Narin ,
Chris Hopkins ,
In this article, we will discuss the commonly used model organisms for microbiome research, and what insights they can provide.
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Review Of Zebrafish Models To Boost Research In Rare Genetic Diseases

By:
Alexandra Narin ,
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DMD feature image

Nutraceuticals & New approaches to DMD treatment

By:
Alexandra Narin ,
This article will discuss recent findings, and how similar studies present an exciting and promising future for currently incurable diseases.
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zfish as drug discovery tool feature image

Lost and Found: Zebrafish as a Drug Discovery Tool

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

By:
Alexandra Narin ,
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How Probiotics are Being Used to Combat COVID-19

By:
Alexandra Narin ,
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
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What’s Tau Got to Do With it?

By:
Alexandra Narin ,
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
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Modeling Gut Microbiome Effects In Alternative Animal Models – Finding The Happy Biota For A Long And Healthy Life

By:
Alexandra Narin ,
Hannah Huston ,
Chris Hopkins ,
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One Fish in a Large Pond: History of the Zebrafish and Other Fish Models for Research Applications

By:
Ashwin Suresh ,
Alexandra Narin ,
This article reviews the history of the zebrafish, and discusses the scenarios when other fish species are advantageous.
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A Gene Replacement Humanization Platform for Rapid Functional Testing of Clinical Variants in Epilepsy-associated STXBP1

By:
Alexandra Narin ,
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
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Rising Healthcare Costs? Non-Mammalian Models To The Rescue

By:
Alexandra Narin ,
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Creating Transgenic C. elegans Models For Clinical Variants of Unknown Significance [Customer Story]

By:
Alexandra Narin ,
Using the models provided by InVivo Biosystems, the Starr & Luxton Labs were able to focus their efforts on understanding and evaluating the variants and
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Toxicity Screening: A New Generation Of Models

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

By:
Ashwin Suresh ,
Alexandra Narin ,
Ben Jussila ,
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
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The Lasting Effects Of COVID-19 On Research Labs

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

By:
Ashwin Suresh ,
Alexandra Narin ,
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
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The Application of Hypersensitivity Assays to the Discovery of Therapeutics

By:
Chris Hopkins ,
Using Humanization we can take advantage of the ancient biology between humans and other organisms to create stand-ins – patient avatars – for drug screening
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The 3Rs of Animal Research: Are the guidelines working? How can we do better?

By:
Alexandra Narin ,
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
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So What is Humanization?

By:
Alexandra Narin ,
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
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The Good, Bad and the Ugly of Reactive Oxygen Species

By:
Chris Hopkins ,
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
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The Next Generation of Animal Models: Humanized Models

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

By:
Alexandra Narin ,
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
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An Updated Comparison of Common Model Organisms Part 2: Organisms for Modeling Epilepsy

By:
Alexandra Narin ,
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
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An Updated Comparison of Common Model Organisms

By:
Alexandra Narin ,
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
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Alzheimer’s – Have we been approaching it all wrong?

By:
Alexandra Narin ,
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
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Whole Gene Humanization for Personalized Medicine Applications

By:
Chris Hopkins ,
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
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Why C. elegans are ideal for Disease Modeling [Infographic]

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

By:
Kathryn McCormick ,
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
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90 Mutations with 1 Gene: Functional Analysis of Variants Using C. elegans

By:
Trisha Brock ,
Kathryn McCormick ,
We created over 90 point mutations in the STXBP1 gene via CRISPR. A map of these point mutations can be seen above. Clinical variants
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Understanding GPCRs Using Humanized C. elegans

By:
InVivo Biosystems ,
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.
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Zebrafish Modeling Of SARS-CoV-2 Susceptibility In Rare Disease

By:
Chris Hopkins ,
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The Need for Animal Models in COVID-19 Research

By:
InVivo Biosystems ,
Our CSO recently helped write a letter expressing the need for animal models in COVID-19 research
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Research Spotlight: Summer Sun Safety Month

By:
Jenn Lawson ,
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
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Longevity Studies Using C. elegans to Identify Potential Anti-Aging Compounds [Customer Story]

By:
InVivo Biosystems ,
Dr. Vollmer shares his experience working with us and how the Longevity Platform delivers the results he needs within his timeline and budget.
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A View From the Bench: Roadblocks and Frustrations When Expectation Meets Reality.

By:
Jenn Lawson ,
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
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Research Spotlight: Alzheimer’s Disease

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

By:
InVivo Biosystems ,
Tune in weekly to our virtual series “Seventeen Minutes of Science” every Tuesday at 11am PST / 2pm ET where we go live on Facebook
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Alzheimer’s Awareness Month [Infographic]

By:
Hannah Huston ,
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The Importance of COVID-19 Environmental Testing

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

By:
Janis Weeks, Ph.D. ,
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Seventeen Minutes of Science: Modeling Human Diseases in Zebrafish (Episode 4)

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

By:
Hannah Huston ,
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Seventeen Minutes of Science: Virology & World Health (Episode 2)

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

By:
InVivo Biosystems ,
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
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Zebrafish and C. elegans in ALS: tightening the bench-to-clinic gap

By:
InVivo Biosystems ,
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,
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CRISPR technologies enable humanized animal models to aid disease research

By:
InVivo Biosystems ,
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
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Arg…What’s up with that? Arginine is Enriched in Pathogenic Variants

By:
Chris Hopkins ,
Our CSO explores a theory he has about the amino acid arginine which seems to be showing frequent association with pathogenicity.
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Where the Lead Leads: Seeking Mechanisms of Action in C. elegans for Neurotoxic Effects of Lead

By:
Janis Weeks, Ph.D. ,
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
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The Precisome™ Platform Bridges the ACDY5 Diagnostic Gap

By:
Anna Malinkevich, MS ,
Chris Hopkins ,
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,
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[Review] The Human Avatar

By:
Yoanne Clovis, Ph.D. ,
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,
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Reviewers’ Choice Abstract Award at ASHG Goes to Ben Jussila for Demonstrating how Zebrafish Can be Used for Disease Modeling

By:
Hannah Huston ,
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Bayer and NemaMetrix present C. elegans results at Parasitic Helminths conference in Greece

By:
Janis Weeks, Ph.D. ,
How are extreme weather events, such as Hurricane Katrina, spreading heartworms and other parasitic nematodes and what are the implications of their spread?
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Hurricanes and Heartworms; Extreme Weather Events Spread Worms

By:
Janis Weeks, Ph.D. ,
How are extreme weather events, such as Hurricane Katrina, spreading heartworms and other parasitic nematodes and what are the implications of their spread?
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The Evolution of Drug Resistance; an Issue of “When, not if”

By:
Janis Weeks, Ph.D. ,
Drug resistance in many pathogens — viruses, bacteria, protozoa, parasitic worms and more — presents a growing and potentially catastrophic challenge to human and animal
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Total Domination – Uncovering the Phenomenon of 1:2 Dominant vs Recessive ratio for Variation in the Genome

By:
Chris Hopkins ,
Our CSO revisits his Veritas Genomic Sequencing report for a closer look at how significant some of the discovered variants are
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[Case Study] Exploring the Potential

By:
Yoanne Clovis, Ph.D. ,
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,
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A New Approach to Anti-Aging Research

By:
Yoanne Clovis, Ph.D. ,
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
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[Case Study] From Worm to Pre-Clinical Data

By:
Yoanne Clovis, Ph.D. ,
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,
READ MORE

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

By:
Yoanne Clovis, Ph.D. ,
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
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Genomic baggage – What are the skeletons rattling in your genetic closet?

By:
Chris Hopkins ,
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
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What Can Zebrafish Tell us About CRISPR Off-Target Activity?

By:
InVivo Biosystems ,
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
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C. elegans showing its weight in neuro-toxicology research

By:
,
Hannah Huston ,
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The Humanized Worm [Infographic]

By:
Anna Malinkevich, MS ,
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
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The Unnecessary Procedure – A Problem with False Positives in Genomic Testing

By:
Chris Hopkins ,
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
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Using C. elegans to study parasitism

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

By:
Chris Hopkins ,
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
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Explosive Growth of Gene Variant Numbers

By:
Chris Hopkins ,
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
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Systems for Improving Diagnostic Yield of Genomic Sequence Analysis

By:
Chris Hopkins ,
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
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A New Era of Transgenics in Parasitic Nematodes

By:
Ramesh Ratnappan ,
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
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Dealing with Uncertain Significance of the Genome

By:
Chris Hopkins ,
“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
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C. elegans as Fast and Affordable System for Variant Phenotyping

By:
Chris Hopkins ,
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
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Worming into Relevance – Human disease models in the C. elegans nematode

By:
Chris Hopkins ,
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
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KCNQ2 epilepsy gene

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

By:
InVivo Biosystems ,
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
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KCNQ2 Cures Summit – Patient Family Passion and Involvement

By:
Chris Hopkins ,
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
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Worming into Relevance – Human disease models in the C. elegans nematode

By:
Chris Hopkins ,
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
READ MORE

Properties of Top 20 Epilepsy Genes

By:
Chris Hopkins ,
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
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DD News features NemaMetrix in its latest issue on Animal Models of Disease

By:
InVivo Biosystems ,
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
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Dr. Andy Golden

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

By:
InVivo Biosystems ,
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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