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WHAT’S UP DOC? | Small Fish Make a Big Difference

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Have you ever thought about the functions of the thousands of genes inside our bodies? Scientists have been excited to answer this question ever since the Human Genome Project identified more than 20,000 genes, most of which were of unknown function. The past decade has witnessed a great explosion of knowledge about gene function and regulation. Most of this knowledge has come from studying model organisms, ranging from single-celled yeast to multi-whiskered mice. Since the fundamental biological processes are amazingly conserved across different species, studies from model organisms have taught us a lot about how our own bodies work and have led us to develop methods to treat diseases.