# Control and Impacts of Disease of Zebrafish in Research Facilities

> **NIH NIH R24** · OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $45,841

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
The use of zebrafish (Danio rerio) as part of an integrative approach to improving human health is now second
to mice in vertebrate models, with over 900 NIH grants using the model. Certain pathogens are very common
in zebrafish facilities. The three most common diseases/infections of zebrafish in research laboratories are
microsporidiosis, caused by Pseudoloma neurophilia, mycobacteriosis (caused by multiple species of
Mycobacterium), and parasitic enteritis (caused by the nematode Pseudocapillaria tomentosa). For example,
Pseudoloma occurs infects zebrafish in about half of the research facilities. This project will continue to
develop methods of control or avoid these pathogens. We will also continue to elucidate the effects of these
infections on research endpoints, as they may be important causes of non-protocol variation – e.g.,
Pseudoloma alters the behavior of otherwise clinically normal zebrafish. Our studies will include investigations
on effects of infections on cytokine rDNA expression and intestinal microbiome profiles, and inter-strain
variability in pathogenesis and microbiomes between popular outbred strains of zebrafish. We will continue to
develop efficacious antibiotics M. chelonae infections, and will develop non-lethal PCR based tests for
Pseudoloma, Pseudocapillaria and Mycobacterium marinum.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10136289
- **Project number:** 3R24OD010998-17S2
- **Recipient organization:** OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Michael Lawrence Kent
- **Activity code:** R24 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $45,841
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2003-07-01 → 2021-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10136289

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10136289, Control and Impacts of Disease of Zebrafish in Research Facilities (3R24OD010998-17S2). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10136289. Licensed CC0.

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