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Frank Marini was
born and raised in Hudson Mass. After high school he joined
the Army and moved to Ft. Benning GA to complete his Military
education. Four yrs later he returned to Massachusetts to
complete college and received his BS in biochemistry. His
first job as a research assistant at Scripps Clinic and Research
Foundation in La Jolla Ca showed him that translational research
in medicine was soon to be his chosen career path. In 1989
he moved to Houston TX to begin his graduate training in Molecular
biology at the University of Texas -Houston. He completed
his Ph. D. in 1995 where his research focused on Gene Therapy
of Cancer. Franks expertise in gene transfer and gene delivery
into stem cells is well recognized, and he has developed viral
vector gene delivery systems, which have been used in clinical
trials for treatment of cancers. He is currently an assistant
professor in the W.M. Keck Center for Cancer Gene Therapy
at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.
From the start fish, and fish
tanks intrigued me. My parents setup my first tank, a 30gal
metal-framed tank containing seahorses when I was 12. I was
hooked from that day on. Since then, when I've had a permanent
residence, I've kept a number of different fish and have always
focused on predatory and unusual fish. I started my first
reef tank in 1986, and my first large fish only in 1989. I
fell in love w/ the banggai cardinal fish in 1995, and after
solving the sexing issues had multiple successful breedings.
I have been credited w/ having the first reported breeding
of these fish and successfully raising the fry. In 1997, I
scaled up my banggai breeding and was able to supply over
300 banggai fry to local Houston pet stores. I continued banggai
breeding for a few years thereafter, but again have focused
on predatory fish (mainly the scorpionfish family: lionfish,
etc). My interests are diverse and always educational. Besides
saltwater fish, I have a 125gal FW planted tank, I raise matamata
turtles, frequently play my bass guitar, and whenever possible
cruise in my 400Hp 5.8L 1986 Mustang GT (the MXMISL).
Frank is available for questions
at the Fish
Breeding and Marine
Fish forums at Reef Central.
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