Starting from the knowledge and skills derived from the scientific research carried out in the “Zebrafish for Innovation and Research” (ZIRLab)” laboratory, we have designed many innovative solutions for the productive sector, both in the search for bioactive compounds as in the evaluation of the potential (negative and/or beneficial) effects of compounds and environmental matrices that may be interesting for the pharmaceutical, environmental and food industries.
Our services are the result of a wide experience in basic science research and the application advanced cellular and molecular biology tools. This has enabled us to implement multiple biotechnological applications that permit the in-vivo and real time evaluation of the biological effects of chemical compounds (isolated or in complex mixtures) in sub-lethal concentrations, and in this way, to determine potential risks and benefits for health and/or the environment associated with these.
Our assays permit the reduction of the uncertainty and time associated with the prospection of new bioactive compounds, both in the biomedical field as in the veterinary, aquaculture and food industry. At the same time, our toxicity bioassays permit the evaluation of the safety of drugs in pre-clinical trials, as in the risks associated to aquatic environmental pollutants, which means a great benefit for those industries that require the use of large amount of high quality water, as is the case of the food, aquaculture and agricultural industries.
Through the use of zebrafish (Danio rerio), a model which has been considered as the “new lab mice”, the protocols that we have developed in our laboratory permit for the evaluation of a great variety of biological effects:
- Lethal toxicity (LC50, NOEC, LOEC; NCh-ISO:15088).
- Sub-lethal toxic effects (prNCh:3385).
- Embryonic development defects (prNCh:3385).
- Effects on eclosion.
- Growth rate.
- Immunostimulant and anti-inflamatory effects.
- Cellular regeneration.
- Cellular migration.