Author: Laura Russiello

This author has written 17 articles
Automating the sorting of Xenopus oocytes and embryos
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Automating the sorting of Xenopus oocytes and embryos

Xenopus laevis is the scientific name of the African clawed frog. This species is native from southern Africa and inhabits slow moving water or stagnant ponds. Its facility to adapt to different environments and conditions makes it considered as an invasive species in Europe, North America and South America (1). The consequence of its invasiveness is a decrease in the local biodiversity because of the competition with local amphibians and the fact that it eats local fishes and invertebrates (1). On the other hand, X.laevis is a very good model organism…

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29 August 2023
Virtual reality to study the zebrafish brain
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Virtual reality to study the zebrafish brain

Virtual reality games are becoming increasingly popular. They allow users to fully immerse themselves in another, virtual world.  Did you know that virtual reality systems are also used in research ? It is the case in the study of the brain and its mechanisms. This article is going to explain how it is possible to track neuronal activities in fish brains, using virtual reality. Studies with zebrafish where virtual reality is involved The method Conclusion References Studies with zebrafish where virtual reality is involved Virtual reality is used to study…

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31 July 2023
Perception of seasonality in zebrafish
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Perception of seasonality in zebrafish

Summer is here and we can enjoy the long days. Longer days allow us to be more active and can give us more energy. But what about animals? Do they perceive the changing of the seasons? This month we are going to discover how zebrafish perceive environmental changes such as light and temperature. Natural range Monsoon impacts on zebrafish Perception of seasonality Conclusion References Natural range Zebrafish are found in the river Ganges and its branches in India, Bangladesh and Nepal. They can also be found in Sri Lanka and…

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25 June 2023
The AquaSorter, a solution to automate the screening and sorting of fish eggs for the aquaculture industry
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The AquaSorter, a solution to automate the screening and sorting of fish eggs for the aquaculture industry

This month's article will target the amazing news that we received in May! Bionomous was selected to receive the support of Innosuisse in the frame of the Swiss Accelerator. Our project AQUASORTER (Automation and QUAlity SORting Tools for thE aquacultuRe industry) will receive the necessary funding to adapt our current technology for the fish farms industry. Our project focuses on the fish farms industry as there is a need to increase the efficiency of this industry to respond to a  global demand. In fact, aquaculture is expected to provide over…

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29 May 2023
Zebrafish as a model in Parkinson’s disease
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Zebrafish as a model in Parkinson’s disease

April is Parkinson disease awareness month and for this reason, we decided to talk about zebrafish and this neurodegenerative disease. By their numerous advantages as a model organism, zebrafish show us one more time that they are relevant in neurotoxicity studies and neurodegenerative disorders. The prevalence of Parkinson disease has increased over the past 25 years (1) and for this reason, studies about the comprehension of this disease are really important to find an effective treatment.  Parkinson disease Zebrafish models of Parkinson's disease Conclusion References Parkinson disease Parkinson disease (PD)…

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20 April 2023
Fifth in the series : Prof. Janet Heasman
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Fifth in the series : Prof. Janet Heasman

For the last week of March and as the end of our mini-series, we are pleased to present Prof. Janet Heasman. She has dedicated her career to vertebrate development using Xenopus laevis as a model.  Biography Her contribution to Xenopus science Conclusion References Biography Janet Heasman was born in Hartlepool, England (1,2). She attended University College Hospital Medical School in London and in the second year, she took an intercalated BSc degree in J.Z. Young’s Anatomy department where she met her husband, Christopher Wylie (1,2) . Janet succeeded her BCs…

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31 March 2023
Fourth in the series : Hilde Mangold
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Fourth in the series : Hilde Mangold

To continue the March series of articles on women, we are pleased to introduce a woman who greatly contributed to the understanding of cell fate in the development of amphibian embryos, such as Xenopus laevis. This woman is Hilde Mangold, a German biologist of the early 20th century. Biography Hilde Mangold's contribution to the concept of organizer Conclusion References Biography Hilde Mangold, previously Proeschold, was born on 20 October 1898 in Gotha in Germany (1–3). At the age of 16, she entered the Gymnasium Ernestinum where she was one of…

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23 March 2023
Third in the series : Dr. Sharon Amacher
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Third in the series : Dr. Sharon Amacher

For the third week of our special Women’s month, we are going to present to you Dr. Sharon Amacher, an American scientist who dedicates her research to understanding muscle development, patterning and disease.  Biography Her contribution to zebrafish research Conclusion References Biography Sharon Amacher completed her entire academic studies in the United States. She first attended the University in California Berkeley to obtain a Bachelors Degree in Physiology. She then continued her studies at the University of Washington in Seattle where she obtained a PhD in biochemistry in 1993. After…

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16 March 2023
Second in the series : Dr. Kerstin Howe
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Second in the series : Dr. Kerstin Howe

For the second week of our Women in Science month, we are pleased to present Dr. Kerstin Howe. She is a German computational biologist working on genomic sequences (1). Biography Her contribution to zebrafish research Conclusion References Biography Kerstin Howe was born in Germany. She studied Biology at the Ruhr University of Bochum in Germany where she had her diploma in 1994 and after a year working in industry returned to university to obtain a  PhD in genetics in 1999 (1,2). After she finished her PhD, she worked for one…

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8 March 2023
First in the series : Prof. Christiane Nüsslein-Volhard
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First in the series : Prof. Christiane Nüsslein-Volhard

In March we celebrate women’s history. And we have taken this great celebration to highlight important women in the history of aquatic models research, especially zebrafish and xenopus. Every Friday of this month, we will publish one article on the fantastic discoveries made by a woman.  Today we are honored to present to you Prof. Christiane Nusslein-Volhard, a german developmental biologist and Nobel laureate.  Biography Her contribution to zebrafish research Conclusion References Biography Christiane Nüsslein-Volhard was born on October 20, 1942 in Frankfurt. Her father was an architect and her…

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2 March 2023