Znomics Libraries

The Znomics Libraries — the ZeneMark® Library and its subsets the Living Library and the Human Disease Library — comprise a comprehensive database of catalogued mutations in zebrafish (Danio rerio) genes. By using retroviral insertional mutagenesis (RIM), our proprietary gene-modification technology, Znomics can generate zebrafish harboring more than 25 retroviral insertions per germ line. Each retroviral insertion acts as a molecular beacon enabling the rapid identification of a disrupted gene within weeks. As each insertion in the ZeneMark® library is identified and annotated, sperm harboring these insertions are cryogenically preserved to maintain the mutated lines. Disruptions in specific genes can then be analyzed with molecular and physiological techniques by using the sperm sample to generate live zebrafish via in vitro fertilization.

Serving as the foundation for the Znomics Drug Discovery Platform, the Znomics Libraries significantly advance the technology to determine a gene’s function, facilitate the identification of genes that are optimal drug targets for human diseases, and provide the means to conduct automated, high-throughput compound screening in live animals.

The Znomics Libraries are available for basic research and to partners seeking to 1) identify new targets for drug discovery through forward genetic screening, 2) validate targets identified through micro-array and other functional genomic methods, and 3) identify sites of drug action through in vivo screening of mutant lines for resistance to drug action.

Visit the Znomics Libraries by clicking on the buttons found at the top of each page in the Znomics website.

The Znomics Libraries use Ensembl technology mirroring the Sanger Center's zebrafish genome database, but with the addition of our own data. The retroviral insertions are displayed as a stand-alone track on the genome browser window. Additional search functions are also added to the genome browser for users who want to search genes with retroviral insertions by keywords or gene category.

Funded largely by a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) and National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), The ZeneMark® Library is the first of its kind — a screenable mutational library in a vertebrate. Patents on the ZeneMark® Library have been submitted.