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24 December 2018 | Story Leonie Bolleurs | Photo Anja Aucamp
Research possibilities of zebrafish exposed
Leading global genetics laboratories are replacing research on human and animal populations with zebrafish, says Prof Paul Grobler, Head of the UFS Department of Genetics.
The UFS Department of Genetics is on par with current research trends in terms of their zebrafish project. About a year has passed since they seriously started focusing on the potential of this tiny four-centimetre-long fish, and the possibilities are hugely exciting.

Looks are deceiving

Leading global genetics laboratories are replacing research on human and animal populations with zebrafish due to several fascinating reasons, of which the most profound is probably that the zebrafish share large portions of its genome with mammals. For genetics researchers this may make a lot of sense, but most people battle to see any resemblance between a six-foot-tall rugby player or 600 kg buffalo and a small, nearly transparent fish. It is in the detail, the researchers say.

Fast, effective, and visible

“The complete genome sequence of the zebrafish is known, and as much as 84% of genes known to be associated with human disease have zebrafish counterparts,” explains Head of Department, Prof Paul Grobler. Another advantage is the fast breeding rate and short generation time, and the fact that some research is ethically more justifiable when done on fish larvae rather than on adult mammals. The fact that zebrafish embryos are virtually transparent, also allow researchers to examine the development of internal structures without effort. Every blood vessel in a living zebrafish embryo is visible under a low-power microscope.

Multidisciplinary

Zebrafish provide research potential for many different study fields besides that of Prof Grobler and his team, Sue Rica Schneider and Dr Willem Coetzer. In the near future, they aim to have undergraduate students use zebrafish as a research model to develop a real sense of research and laboratory work. The Department of Chemistry are also initiating research on zebrafish housed in the Department of Genetics.

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News Archive

UFS takes further steps to address load shedding
2015-02-24

The South African economy is experiencing its worst electricity crisis since 2008, with state power firm Eskom implementing load shedding as it struggles to meet growing demand for power.

The University of the Free State (UFS) has been planning and implementing projects to reduce the impact of load shedding since 2008. This was done primarily to ensure that the academic programme does not suffer as a result of the increasing cuts in power supply, which continued this year.

The university’s main concern is the supply of emergency power to lecture halls and laboratories.

Up to date, 35 generators are serving 55 buildings on the three campuses of the UFS. This includes 26 generators on the Bloemfontein Campus, eight on the Qwaqwa Campus in the Eastern Free State and one generator on the South Campus in Bloemfontein. The generators are serviced regularly and kept in a working condition.

Since 2010, the university has also ensured that all new academic buildings being built were equipped with emergency power.

On the South Campus in Bloemfontein the new lecture hall building and the Computer Laboratory are equipped with emergency power, while the installation of emergency power generators in other buildings is underway. Most of the buildings on the Qwaqwa Campus in the Eastern Free State are provided with emergency power.

“To expand on the work that have already been done, the main objective in the installation of more generators on the Bloemfontein Campus will be to ensure that lecture halls with emergency power are available on the centrally booked timetables and that more of the critical laboratories are equipped with emergency power,” said Mr Nico Janse van Rensburg, Senior Director: University Estates.

“There are still some critical buildings and venues on the Bloemfontein Campus that must be equipped with emergency power. However, this is a costly process and will have to be phased in over a period of time. The further implementation of emergency power is dependent on delivery times of equipment. The university is also looking into alternative power supply solutions, such as solar power,” he said.

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