Zebrafish provide
insight to mutations
By Demian McLean
Emer atd Pt porter
The University's Kimmel
Laboratory might be as close us
Eugene gets to the tropics.
The air temperature is a
balmy 85 degrees year round,
and small, striped fish dart
around In more than 8,000 gal
Ions of water, biologists walk
between rows of aquariums tak
ing notes, c lothed comfortably
in shorts and T-shirts.
For almost ]() years now.
University biology Professor
Charles Kimmol has worked in
this environment studying ge
netic mutations in the tropical
/(•brutish Though his work has
focused on fish, Kimmel said
his researc h has eventual impli
cations for humans, such as
finding a way to prevent birth
defects.
“Even though this is a study
on zebrafish. it's a simple mod
el for humans," he said
Last October, Kimmel s re
search earned him national at
tention The Americ an Associa
tion for the Advancement of
Science elected Kimmel a fel
low for establishing the
zebrafish as a model for mam
malian development
Founded in IB-18, the AAAS
is the world's largest general
science organization, with more
than 10.0(H) members interna
tionally The AAAS, which
also publishes the weekly jour
nal Science, recognizes about
200 researchers each year for
distinguished achievements
Kimmel will travel to Boston
in February, where the AAAS
will present him and 237 other
members with a ribbon and an
official certificate
Biologists have long been in
trigued by problems in early
human development, kimniel
said, for example spinal bifida
Humans with spinal bifida ant
born without a spine
But in-cause human embryos
are difficult to study, research
ers often ustt a simpler mamma
lian relative, such as mice And
even simpler to study, Kimmel
said, are the small, clear em
bryos of the /.etmifish
Biologists can use fish as a
model for human development
for several reasons. Kimmel
said
First, fish and mammals are
ancient relatives, he said, hav
ing evolved from a common an
cestor Second, most vertebrate
embryos an- strikingly similar
in their early stages For these
reasons, biologists can confi
dently use zebraflsh as a model
for early mammalian develop
ment, he said.
One of Klmmel's most nota
ble achievements is linking de
velopment in mice to that in
zebra fish
"Though there's different
body parts between a fish and a
mouse, you find a lot of their
genes are similar," he said
“There’s a common ancestor
for both fish and mica*."
Science has known for dec
ades that mice and fish (and
most vertebrates) share a com
mon gone for developing a
Phcrto t>y Mguy*r
Charles Kimmel stands among sever til tanks of xebrafish in Heushs Hall His work with xobrahsh and
genetic mutations has earned him national recognition.
*It happened the same way in me or you.
We share genes with strange organisms,
including fish and fruitfUes.’
Charles Kimmel,
biology professor
bar kbono, Kimmol •».«i<I
Knowing that some mien are
born without a backbone, Kim
mol worked to produce a
/.obruflsh that also lacked a
backbone After doing so. Kim
mol could study those buck
bone less fish us they devel
oped and matured, and then
apply his findings to mice
If biologists can find a link
between fish and mouse back
bone development. they can
possibly do ii with humuns.
too. kimmol said
It happened the Mime way
In me or you." he said "Wo
share genes with strange organ
isms. including fish and fruit
flies."
Zebra fish are minnow si/od
natives of rivers in the I ar hast,
such as the Ganges Kimmol
said they are ideal subjei Is for a
study in embryo development
for several masons
First, lilt’ /.i*t>r«ifish eggs art!
transparent, which lets re
Marchers set- exactly how the
Infant inside develops, or
doesn't develop, as in the case
with Kirnmel's mutants
.Second, they produce copi
ous amounts of eggs. between
200 .md 1.000 per fish And
last, they are small and easy to
care for
Kirnmel's research is funded
by .iIhhiI $250,000 in federal
grunts every year Ills dist every
linking mice and fish, lie said,
brings biologists one step closer
to tracking genetic mutations in
humans
Snapple containers create messy recycling problem
By Carne Fenelon
Em«ald Contributor
Just because Kush Limbaugh likes
Snupple doesn't mean everyone has to.
The beverage has become a favored al
ternative to soda and can lie found not
only in the EMU and local stores, but
also in overflowing campus garbage cans
and recycling bins
Thu University collects about 1000
pounds a week of non-rufunduble glass
from Carson Hall, Hamilton Complex,
University Inn, Dean Complex and the
EMU. More than 90 percent of this glass
is Snupple bottles, said Mark Burke, a re
cycling assistant for the Student Recycl
ing Program.
Catering in Bean fills a 55-gallon barrel
four times u week, as does the EMU.
More glass Is thrown away because a re
cycling bin isn't always readily available
Garbage collectors for the Physical Plant
reported finding approximately 1200
pounds of Snapple bottles in the garbage
bins at Pizuno's. the now pizza restaurant
on campus
The EMU has been carrying Snapple
for about a year The company provides
Dennis Carr, EMU fotxl service manager,
with a refrigeration unit, delivery and
merchandising os part of the contract.
Karyn Kuplan, Campus Recycling co
ordinator. began to notice the increase in
glass almost immediately. In May Kap
lan’s assistant Katherine Luacher sent a
letter to Snapple to bring the problem to
the company's attention and to suggest
the company implement a deposit on the
bottles Snapple empties are refundable
only in Maine.
At the end of the letter Luscher im
plied that the University muy have to be
gin a boycott of Snapple products if the
situation was not taken care of.
Snapple’s response was a letter thank
ing Campus Recycling for "taking the
time to let us know that you enjoy our
Photo tff Dylan Coun*
Mark Burke of Student Recycling helps son through the new Snepple recycling bins.
products." A handwritten note at the
bottom stated that glass is recyclable in
Oregon and to contact the stute for more
information.
The letter was referring to the much
touted Dottle Dill But the Dottle Dill is
not a solution to excess waste. Kaplan
said
“When the Dottle Bill came out in
1970, it was intended as a roadside litter
bill," Kaplan said "But It doesn't cover
non-carbonatod beverages, which was
not a problem until ull those new waters
and juices came out "
Carr agreed with Kaplan regarding the
Bottle Bill
"The Bottle Bill is totally outdated.
When it was introduced it was the cut
ting edge of legislation,” Carr said.
“There are dozens and dozens of prod
ucts that the bottle bill doesn't address in
any way. shape or form."
On 0(1 2(>, Kaplan, Carr, (luI Morgan
of Premier Distributors, Larry Baker, a
Snappie salesman, and Joe Cm bo arid
Linda Dicvondorf of the EMU Board met
to discuss u resolution to the problem.
Snappie Co. and Premier Distributors
agreed to provide and service nine largo
collection bins for Snappie Unties Five
of the bins are located in the LMtJ, and
there are plans for more bins to be
placed in Lawrence Hall, which sells
Snappie ut the Hearth Cafe and at the
Bean Complex loading dock.
Premier Distributors will collect the
wheeled bins when it delivers Snappie
Premier has a recycling company within
its organization that processes recyclable
materials and sells them to producers.
Carr said he is not sure if the responsi
bility lies solely with Snappie and Pre
mier. Although the distributor and man
ufacturer have taken action along with
the EMU and Campus Recycling, Carr
said hr Ixdieves lim customers namely
Univitrsily students are also purl of
the pmblnn and the solution
"Customers lend lo hr irrrsponsihlr in
this resjant (recycling)," Carr said "If
thry ( .in uxlurnulize waste and make it
sninnnnc rise's prohlem, they will
Kaplun said she hrlievcs Snapplr has
also externalized the situation.
"You pay H5 cents for a bottle of
Snapple," she said "The ( ompany gels
the money, hut then we pay for upkeep
on the roads, for pollution from trucks
and lor litter One bottle ends up costing
the taxpayer three or four dollars That's
money that I have to pay. and I don't
even drink the stuff "
because of the amount of glass pro
duced, the student-funded Student Ke
cycling Program also must pay. Kaplan
estimates that an additional 10 to 15
hours of time is needed per week to col
lect glass This is time — and money —
that could be spent on better projects
Site asked Snapple to give the recycling
program 75 dollars a week to deal with
the problem, but the ( ompany refused
Kaplun will postpone the boycott of
Snapple until she determines If the re
cycling effort is effective Carr said that
us a state employee, he could not support
a boycott, and the sale of Snapple is also
economically beneficial to the EMU.
"Snapple represents SI.000 to St.100
of business a week in gross sales I bis
money provides for a lot of student em
ployment and overhead costs.” Carr said.
"We can't afford to lose a product with
that type of business. ”
Carr said the EMU is open to any
group that would like to set up tables to
help students realize their personal re
sponsibility in recycling glass containers
He said he believes students should fo
cus their energies toward state legislators
who have the capacity to create u more
comprehensive bottle bill