A University College, Cork (UCC) scientist is working with zebrafish on research into gut-brain communication.
As The Sunday Independent reports, Dr Jatin Nagpal, a lecturer at UCC’s School of Pharmacy and Department of Pharmacology, has secured Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) funding for his project.
Nagpal, who is originally from Delhi, India, has been working with zebrafish for the last seven to eight years, and says the fish has many genetic similarities to humans.
Zebrafish embryos have proved more effective than mice for research into genetic mutations involved in depression.
“In our research, we are trying to see what causal mechanisms are at play in the way the microbiome – or collection of microbes – can influence neuro-circuits in the brain responsible for stress and other behaviours,”he told the newspaper.
Nagpal says the research could lead to development of microbiotic treatments – such as particular probiotics or a particular diet – to help people with depression, stress, anxiety and other conditions.
The grant for Nagpal’s four-year project has been approved under the SFI/Irish Research Council “Pathway” programme.
Read The Sunday Independent here