Volume 52 Issue 10, October 2023

How to reduce animal numbers and increase the information content of animal-based studies. A ‘well-built’ research question turns the research hypothesis into an actionable, focused, and testable plan of action.

Unpredictable chronic stress (UCS) increases anxiety/fear-related behavior and cortisol levels while decreasing locomotor performance, according to a systematic analysis of 38 studies on UCS in zebrafish. To further assess the effects of UCS on zebrafish behavior, future well-designed trials are required.

Two Cre-dependent reporter mice, oFluc and Akaluc, were created and tested for bioluminescence in neural tissues and organs. Both strains were brighter than the classical luciferase Luc2, potentially facilitating in vivo bioluminescence imaging of various tissues.