London, July 4 : A new way of detecting zinc in zebra fish could pave the way for more effective treatment of diseases like Type 2 diabetes, prostate cancer and Alzheimer's with which zinc is linked.

A lot of work has been done in the lab, but very few people have looked at how zinc works in whole organisms.

Zinc is involved in many metabolic processes that affect the function of the immune system and brain, reproduction and sexual development.

Mike Watkinson, Stephen Goldup and Caroline Brennan, from London University's Queen Mary's School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, have focused their efforts on developing a sensor for zinc for use on zebra fish, according to a Queen Mary's statement.

Due to their fast development, zebra fish can be grown outside the mother's body, and their embryos are transparent, allowing for a clear observation of their organs.

The team designed a sensor which switched on fluorescence in the fish when zinc was present.

Watkinson explains: "Our probe is able to visualise zinc in various part of the fish embryos, including the pancreas and we are excited that we can develop the technology further to help understand the role of zinc in the development of important disease like type 2 diabetes."

The team used a technique called 'click' chemistry, which is designed to generate substances quickly and reliably by joining small units together.

The results were presented at the Sixth International Symposium on Macrocyclic and Supramolecular Chemistry, in Brighton, Britain.(IANS)