The Zebrafish International Resource Center (ZIRC)
The Zebrafish International Resource Center (ZIRC, http://zebrafish.org/ ) is located on the University of Oregon campus in Eugene, Oregon, USA. ZIRC is the central repository for wild-type, transgenic, and mutant strains of zebrafish (Danio rerio) and for some materials and information about zebrafish research.
We acquire, maintain and distribute research materials and zebrafish strains to the research community. ZIRC also provides Pathology Services for diseased fish and develops standards and procedures for maintaining healthy strains of zebrafish. A manual, Diseases of Zebrafish in Research Facilities (http://zebrafish.org/zirc/health/diseaseManual.php ), for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases affecting zebrafish, is available online.
Strains of wild-type fish and lines carrying mutations or transgenes are continually imported from the research community, maintained, and distributed upon request. Currently, ZIRC maintains approximately 2650 lines of cryopreserved sperm and live zebrafish stocks in its facility. ZIRC also distributes 37 tissue-specific monoclonal Antibodies, and 967 EST/cDNA gene probes, to analyze wild-type specimen.
ZIRC is supported by the National Institutes of Health, Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives (DPCPSI), Office of Research Infrastructure Programs (ORIP). Nominal prices are also charged for some of these materials and services to recover costs and support ZIRC operations.
