Abstract
The rat evokes fear and disgust in a large percentage of people around the world. Yet, other people are fascinated by this amazing creature that is raised as a pet, has an important place in several religions, and is a prominent model for biomedical research. This book focuses on a variety of methodologies that can be used in this remarkable model. This chapter sets the stage by providing a perspective on why the rat remains an important model in biomedical research.
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Acknowledgments
I am deeply indebted to Dr. Tadao Serikawa, for providing me information about the start of fancy rat collections in Japan, and the information and picture used for Fig. 1.2 from the Guide of Fancy Rats. My thanks are also due to the many Students, Staff, Postdoctoral Fellows and Faculty who have worked with me for the last 20 years on projects using the rat as a biomedical model.
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Jacob, H.J. (2010). The Rat: A Model Used in Biomedical Research. In: Anegon, I. (eds) Rat Genomics. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 597. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-60327-389-3_1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-60327-389-3_1
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