Máté Varga, PhD

Our group has created zebrafish models for multiple monogenic human diseases. This work was made possible due to the high similarity between the two vertebrate genomes. The strains we have created can be used to uncover novel aspects of disease ethiology, and can be used in later drug development studies as well.

Keywords

rare diseases, diseases with mendelian inheritance, zebrafish, drug development, genome editing, Pseudoxanthoma elasticum, Dyskeratosis congenita, Bloom syndrome

Evodevo

My group isn interested in understanding the evolutionary and developmental origins of the labyrinth organ, the specific air breathing organ of the paradise fish (Macropodus opercularis).

Keywords

paradise fish, breathing, evolution, genetics, developmental genetics

Highlighted publications

2020 – Balogh, Eszter et al. – Pseudouridylation defect due to DKC1 and NOP10 mutations causes nephrotic syndrome with cataracts, hearing impairment, and enterocolitis – mtmt.hu
2021 – Czimer, Dávid et al. – A New Zebrafish Model for Pseudoxanthoma Elasticum – mtmt.hu
2022 – Annus, Tamás et al. – Bloom syndrome helicase contributes to germ line development and longevity in zebrafish – mtmt.hu
2024 – Erika, Fodor et al. – The reference genome of paradise fish (Macropodus opercularis) – mtmt.hu
2025 – Varga, Zoltán K. ✉ et al. – Paradise fish (Macropodus opercularis) as a complementary translational model for emotional and cognitive function – mtmt.hu