Filippo Del Bene

Scientific biography

Ourresearch group at the Institute de la Vision studies the development and function of the visual system in zebrafish larvae. With 23 years of experience working with small freshwater fish as model organism I have contributed to the generation of resources for the zebrafish community. My laboratory has pioneered the application of CRISPR/Cas9 genomic engineering to create knock-in and knock-out models in zebrafish. The lab discovered a new class of inhibitory interneuron localized in the superficial layer of the optic tectum that play a role in visual stimulus size selectivity and are activated during visually evoked escape responses. In parallel my laboratory investigates the molecular determinants that control the proper development of the axonal connections between the eye and the visual brain.