Pharma school starts use of zebrafish, fruit flies for drug testing

CT University’s School of Pharmaceutical Sciences is taking a big step forward in research with two new, high-tech labs focusing on using fish and fruit flies to test chemicals and drugs. These labs aim to reduce the need for traditional animal testing while still providing valuable insights into health and disease.

The Paracelsus Toxicology Lab uses small-sized and see-through zebrafish for studying how different chemicals affect the body. Researchers can easily see how chemicals impact the fish’s nervous system, metabolism and hormone levels. This lab helps scientists test the safety of chemicals more quickly and efficiently without needing to rely on bigger animals.

The Drosophila Research Lab works with fruit flies to explore how genes and diseases work and how drugs might help. Fruit flies share many genetic traits with humans, so they are very useful for studying diseases like alzheimer’s and parkinson’s. The lab tests how chemicals or genetic changes affect behaviour and health, and also looks for new drugs that could help treat these diseases. It also has more than 70 per cent similarities with human genetic and anatomical features.

Both labs are equipped with the latest technology, which lets researchers test many chemicals or genetic changes at once. This speeds up the process of finding new medicines and understanding diseases.

Dr Vir Vikram, Principal of the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, highlights the importance of these new labs: “These labs allow us to carry out research that helps us understand diseases better and find new treatments faster, all while using more sustainable and ethical methods.” The new labs are aiding in modern research, helping scientists find new medicines and treatments using fish and fruit flies instead of traditional animal testing. This makes research faster, more efficient, and more ethical.