Студенты Университета Мейна изучают связь между регуляцией артериального давления и воспалением с помощью рыб-дафний

ORONO -- Under graduate and graduate students at the University of Maine are learning about how the immune system responds to influenza, and have established a connection that you wouldn't expect.  They are studying zebrafish, tropical minnows that regrow their organs and share DNA incredibly similar to humans. Their unique physiology allows for researchers to watch the real time response of disease processes and development in cells.  The fishes translucent skin during it's first five days of development  lets scientists see their cells divide and specialize without being invasive. Ben King, the associate professor of Bioinformics at UMaine described what has been discovered through some early studies. "Our preliminary studies indicate that by targeting the same mechanism that regulates blood pressure, that may be a way of controlling inflammation," said King. Students collect embryos to check and see if their fish are still healthy and if there's any irregular behaviors. Jenna Gallant has been with the project since she was a sophomore and says the project has grown and expanded so much since she's been involved, and are excited for what she and her classmates will uncover next. "It's very important that we understand our innate immune system since it is the first line of defense against disease and infection, said Gallant. And I'm just really excited to see what my fellow undergraduates do and I'm really proud of them for learning so quickly and having their own projects."