The P23H-1 transgenic rat shows PERK activation (5) and undergoes fast retinal degeneration with 25% photoreceptor loss by postnatal day 15 (P15) compared with wild-type (WT) Sprague Dawley (SD) rats, which provides a rapid and robust model for the assessment of the ability of drugs to affect photoreceptor survival (22,23,28,29). The gene discussed is EIF2AK3; the disease is retinal degeneration.