May 15, 2009
(Vol. 29, No. 10)
Model Organisms for Biomedical Research
What do a frog, a filamentous fungus, and a water flea have in common? They are all model organisms for biomedical research. This aptly named site through the NIH brings all model organisms into the spotlight—so move over, mouse and zebrafish! The website profiles 13 model organisms, explaining why each has been used in biomedical research, and in what capacity. (Who knew that the water flea has been the star of biological investigations for over a century?) For many of the organisms, there are additional links to sequence databases and other species-specific resources. The only “work in progress” organism appears to be budding yeast, for which there is not yet any information listed. Aside from that, though, the site seems to have model organisms covered, from Arabidopsis to zebrafish.
- Key
- Strong Points
- Weak Points
- Ratings
- Excellent
- Very Good
- Good
*The opinions expressed are solely those of the author(s) and should not be construed as reflecting the viewpoints of the publisher, Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., the publishing house, or employees and affiliates thereof.