The model animal

A model animal is an organism extensively studied by science. The term “model animal” has no official scientific definition. Most often, model animals have features that make it easier to study them: They are abundant and easily attainable, their life cycle is relatively fast and it’s easy to handle and keep them in the laboratory. Examples of familiar model animals: The zebrafish, the fruit fly and the common mouse, which is a preferred model animal because of its genetic resemblance to man. At the Center for Personalized Medicine, model animal studies are an important element in research intended for the development of innovative drugs and medical strategies and in the investigation of the microbiota’s effects on behavior; furthermore, groundbreaking studies of parasites such as trypanosoma brucei reveal mechanisms by which scientists will be able to develop drugs against many parasitic diseases.