NANNING, June 13 (Xinhua) -- The 14th International Zebrafish Conference, held for the first time in the Asia Pacific region, kicked off on Wednesday in the city of Suzhou, eastern China's Jiangsu Province.
The four-day academic conference, held every two years, has attracted more than 1,100 experts from over 30 countries and regions to discuss issues related to zebrafish, according to the organizer.
The zebrafish is a small-sized tropical freshwater fish that is known for its full body of dark blue stripes. Because the animal's genes are highly similar to humans, it has significant research value in fields related to life sciences and medical sciences.
It can help researchers study molecular mechanisms of embryonic and tissue development, and build models of various human diseases and tumors, said Wang Han, director of the Center for Circadian Clocks at Suzhou University.
According to Wang, the center has raised more than 50,000 zebrafish of over 100 varieties.
