The Zebrafish Information Network

For those working with zebrafish in the scientific community, there is now a network of information resources that allows the rapid transmission of the latest research and findings for this specific type of fish. Called the Zebrafish Information Newtork, or ZFIN, this biological database exists completely online, what means that researchers conducting similar projects can access the same information despite being thousands of miles apart. Also, in addition to studies about the zebrafish, scientists can also peruse articles that discuss the best methods of breeding and population control in laboratory settings.

The Zebrafish Information Network was conceived after similar biological database networks were created for other species that are commonly used in animal research, such as the common mouse. One of the advantages of ZFIN over other information resources is that external links are often provided to other experiments that are happening in the same field with other species. Therefore, a scientist can look at similar gene expression that is happening with mice in studies that are documented by GenBank and other online biological database options.

The Zebrafish Information Network is hosted by the University of Oregon and is essentially broken down into two main sections. The first part of ZFIN is where all of the announcements and news are posted. This includes a guide of the gene nomenclature as well as laboratory protocols. The second part of ZFIN is a relational biological database that allows scientists and researchers to publish the results of their efforts. These experiments are usually concerning gene expression, sequence alignments, anatomy issues, genetic maps, and transgenic lines. In addition to the Zebrafish Information Network, relevant information can be found at the Zebrafish International Resource Center as the two organizations work closely together to provide all of the necessary information in a single place for scientists to find.