Generating a targeted mutation resource in zebrafish

The ability to manipulate the genome is critical to develop and test hypotheses on gene function. It is the imperative of the post genomic age. A new gene targeting approach, under license to Sigma-Aldrich, utilises synthetic zinc finger nuclease (ZFN) technology to directly modify genetic loci for many diverse applications. This proposal aims to utilise this technology to target specific loci in zebrafish. Up to the development of this technology Zebrafish had few options for directly engineering the genome in a sequence specific manner. This ZFN-based technology to generate targeted knockouts in this aquatic animal opens the door to developing an unprecedented array of genetic models.