2,500 zebrafish
November 6th, 2009 by admin
This week’s issue of News & Views, the online newsletter of The Scripps Research Institute, included a profile of Shuji Kishi, an assistant professor in Scripps Florida’s Department of Metabolism and Aging. When he arrived at Scripps earlier this year from Harvard Medical School he brought with him approximately 2,500 zebrafish (Kishi plans to grow that number to 30,000 fish).
The fish are used to study the relationship between stress and aging. Kishi explained that the fish will be genetically manipulated and confronted with environmental changes, in an attempt to “mimic the human condition.” “We can expose them to hydrogen peroxide, gamma irradiation, UV light, and things like colder or warmer temperatures,” he said. “After they are exposed to this stress, they show changes.”
Kishi is the only researcher at Scripps working with fish, so now we roughly know how many fish are at Scripps’ facility in northern Palm Beach County. We still don’t know how many rats or mice are there.
In 2007 (the most recent year from which records are available), The Scripps Research Institute used 161 rabbits, 56 non-human primates, 32 hamsters and one cat in experiments.
Rats and mice (and fish and frogs) are considered “nonregulated species” by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, so Scripps is not required to report how many of these animals are inside their labs. This is significant because these animals are believed to make up approx. 95% of all animals used in research!
You Can Help
It is impossible to have a clear and honest debate about the use of animals in research and testing when the official numbers of animals involved is outrageously underestimated. Please contact Scripps and politely urge them to produce publicly available annual reports which include the number and species of all animals used, including animals excluded from protection under the federal Animal Welfare Act.Contact:
Scripps Florida
Email: contactfl@scripps.edu
Click here to learn more about animal research in Florida.