Why Do Scientists Use Model Organisms?

Hemophilia is a genetic disease that prevents blood from clotting properly leading to prolonged internal and external bleeding. There are existing treatments for hemophilia that require lifelong administration, while gene therapy may offer a one-time treatment to address the cause of the disease.

The glow of glowing fish comes from the jellyfish Aequorea victoria. The GFP gene from Aequorea victoria was transferred to a zebrafish, where it is expressed in the muscle cells of the zebrafish. Interestingly creating glowing fish for pets wasn't the original purpose of the experiment. Instead these glowing fish were designed to sense toxins in the environment.

What if we could diagnose some of the world's deadliest diseases by the smells our bodies give off? In a fascinating talk and live demo, biologist James Logan introduces Freya, a malaria-sniffing dog, to show how we can harness the awesome powers of animal scent to detect chemical signatures associated with infection – and change the way we diagnose disease.