China announces breakthrough in zebrafish gene study

WUHAN - All 1,333 genes on Chromosome 1 of the zebrafish, which has 85 percent genetic similarity to human beings, have been knocked out by a team of Chinese scientists.

The project by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Peking and Tsinghua universities and 38 laboratories nationwide, started in February last year.

The project knocked out the 1,333 genes one by one, then explained their function, building different kinds of growth and disease models, said Meng Anming, a member of CAS and professor at Tsinghua University.

The progress lays a scientific foundation for the study of human diseases and treatment, said Meng, also board chairman of the China zebrafish resource center, at a meeting to mark the end of the project.

Zebrafish fin, squama and parts of the heart can replace themselves, which is of significance for the regeneration treatment of human amputatees, according to Meng.

Zebrafish reproduce and grow quickly, making it a good choice for life science studies, said Meng.

The materials and data of the project will be freely available through the center's website.

Zebrafish research worldwide has a history of more than 30 years. More than 8,000 mutants of the species have been confirmed.