Transparent fish reveal real-time cellular activity across entire body
GS3Economy · S&T · Environment · Security· Biotechnology & health research· Prelims·
Advancements in whole-organism imaging: a key Science & Technology development for GS3.
Why in news
Researchers at HHMI’s Janelia Research Campus developed WHOLISTIC, a system to capture real-time cellular activity across the entire body of living vertebrates.
Background
The WHOLISTIC system uses transparent larval zebrafish to observe simultaneous activities in the brain, muscles, cardiovascular, and digestive organs. The technology was developed by Virginie Ruetten and collaborators to bridge the gap between individual cell behavior and whole-organism biological interactions.
Facts for Prelims
- S&TWHOLISTIC: A system developed at HHMI’s Janelia Research Campus to capture real-time cellular activity in vertebrates.
- S&TThe technology utilizes transparent larval zebrafish as a model for observing simultaneous organ activities.
- FactThe system reveals correlations between brain, muscle, cardiovascular, and digestive systems during low-oxygen and sleep-like states.
Prelims practice question
Which specific model organism is utilized by the WHOLISTIC system to observe simultaneous organ activities?
- (a)C. elegans
- (b)Larval zebrafish
- (c)Mice
- (d)Fruit flies
Show answer
Answer: (b) Larval zebrafish — The technology utilizes transparent larval zebrafish to observe simultaneous activities in the brain, muscles, cardiovascular, and digestive organs.
For Mains
Q. Discuss how advancements in whole-organism imaging technologies like WHOLISTIC can accelerate the understanding of systemic biological interactions and multi-organ pathologies.
Dimensions to cover in your answer
- Scale integration: Bridging the gap between microscopic cellular behavior and macroscopic systemic physiological responses
- Pathology insights: Identifying systemic correlations during extreme physiological states like hypoxia and sleep-like states
Keywords: WHOLISTIC · larval zebrafish · cellular activity · systemic biology · biotechnology
More Science & Technology notes
- Google's Gemini AI hacked three companies in security test · 19 September 2026
- HAL hands over two LCA trainer plane to Air Force · 19 September 2026
- Rajnath Singh Calls For Integrated Civil-Military Aerospace Ecosystem · 19 September 2026
- Here’s How an AI Slowdown Could Actually Be Enforced · 19 September 2026
- He Won the Nobel Prize for Protein Design. Now He Uses AI to Create Molecules Not Found in Nature · 18 September 2026
- ‘Heartbreaking and extremely rare’: Mother humpback whale carries stillborn calf through the ocean; scientists explain the unusual behaviour · 18 September 2026
Something wrong, or something missing?
Spotted a mistake in a note, or want a topic, format or PDF that would help your preparation? Write to us. We read every mail and fix errors fast.
This note is generated automatically from SatyaDheesh's news feed and mapped to the UPSC CSE syllabus. Check facts against the original report or PIB before using them in an answer.