Fully automated cellular-resolution vertebrate screening platform with parallel animal processing

• The zebrafish larva is an optically-transparent vertebrate model with complex organs that is widelyused to study genetics, developmental biology, and to model various human diseases. In this article, wepresent a set of novel technologies that significantly increase the throughput and capabilities of ourpreviously described vertebrate automated screening technology (VAST). We developed a robustmulti-thread system that can simultaneously process multiple animals. System throughput is limitedonly by the image acquisition speed rather than by the fluidic or mechanical processes. We developedimage recognition algorithms that fully automate manipulation of animals, including orienting andpositioning regions of interest within the microscope’s field of view. We also identified the optimalcapillary materials for high-resolution, distortion-free, low-background imaging of zebrafish larvae.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Data- och informationsvetenskap -- Datorseende och robotik (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Computer and Information Sciences -- Computer Vision and Robotics (hsv//eng)

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)