In addition, there is potential to couple phenomena occurring outside in the real world into the lab. For example, it has been well-documented that large numbers of deformed frogs with missing or deformed limbs have been found in the wetlands in Minnesota. The questions of ground water contamination with pollutants, chemicals, parasites, pesticide metabolites, for example, are examples of agents that could potentially be used to examine effects on zebra fish development. There is potential for using this system in intermediate and advanced-level laboratory courses. The zebrafish field is a rapidly developing area in areas of development and molecular biology.
Zebrafish development is an actively growing research area.
Zebrafish can be used to study embryonic development, gene expression and organogenesis. Zebrafish are also a model system for genetic analysis of vertebrate development using mutational screens and transgenic technology. One of our challenges is to bring this actively growing research area into the undergraduate curriculum in order for students to experience the complexity and beauty of this developmental system.