SBIR-STTR Award

Although conventional sample handling can be adapted for use with processing zebrafish, development of appropriate analytical tools has not kept pace with the increasing use of this animal model for compound screening. In this research, we propose to develop a device to automate zebrafish processing. Zebrafish embryos, which are permeable to small molecules, provide easy access for drug administration and vital dye staining. Small molecules, including peptides, dyes and drugs can be simply dissolved in fish water. Additional advantages include: their small size, easy maintenance and breeding, and high productivity. Use of zebrafish as an alternative animal model for drug screening can greatly accelerate the drug screening process, decrease costs, and provide more accurate results than cell-based assays. There are currently more than 200 core zebrafish aquaculture facilities (2/3 are in the US), and the number of satellite labs is increasing rapidly due to development of modular breeding tanks. This market is highly concentrated and products can be sold using a small sales force or through distributors.

Public Health Relevance:
Zebrafish has been shown to be a predictive animal model for assessing compound safety, toxicity, and efficacy. Although conventional sample handling can be adapted for use with processing zebrafish, development of appropriate analytical tools has not kept pace with the increasing use of this animal model for compound screening. In this research, we propose to develop a device to automate zebrafish processing.

Thesaurus Terms:
Air; Air Movements; Air Pressure; Animal Model; Animal Models And Related Studies; Animals; Aquaculture; Assay; Atmospheric Pressure; Bioassay; Biologic Assays; Biological Assay; Brachydanio Rerio; Breeding; Cells; Collection; Coloring Agents; Common Rat Strains; Coupled; Danio Rerio; Data; Development; Devices; Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; Drug Screening; Drugs; Dyes; Embryo; Embryo Transfer; Embryonic; Engineering; Engineerings; Evaluation; Evaluation Studies, Drug, Pre-Clinical; Evaluation Studies, Drug, Preclinical; Family; Fishes; Fungi, Filamentous; Gases; Genetic Screening; Government; Hand; Head; Hydrogen Oxide; Image; Industry; Laboratories; Left; Legal Patent; Maintenance; Maintenances; Mammals, Mice; Mammals, Rats; Manuals; Marketing; Medication; Methods; Mice; Modeling; Molds; Morphology; Murine; Mus; Partner In Relationship; Patents; Peptides; Persons; Pharmaceutic Preparations; Pharmaceutical Agent; Pharmaceutical Preparations; Pharmaceuticals; Pharmacologic Substance; Pharmacological Substance; Phase; Preclinical Drug Evaluation; Pressure; Pressure- Physical Agent; Process; Productivity; Rat; Rattus; Research; Safety; Sales; Sampling; Savings; Screening Procedure; Staging; Staining Method; Stainings; Stains; System; System, Loinc Axis 4; Tail; Testing; Time; Toxic Effect; Toxicities; Vacuum; Visual; Water; Work; Zebra Danio; Zebra Fish; Zebrafish; Analytical Tool; Base; Cost; Design; Designing; Drug Detection; Drug Testing; Drug/Agent; Embryo Transplantation; Experiment; Experimental Research; Experimental Study; Flasks; Human Disease; Imaging; Marine Culture; Mate; Model Organism; Novel; Pressure; Prototype; Public Health Relevance; Research Study; Screening; Screenings; Small Molecule; Tool; Tool Development; Wasting; Zebrafish Development

Although conventional sample handling can be adapted for use with processing zebrafish, development of appropriate analytical tools has not kept pace with the increasing use of this animal model for compound screening. In this research, we propose to develop a device to automate zebrafish processing. Zebrafish embryos, which are permeable to small molecules, provide easy access for drug administration and vital dye staining. Small molecules, including peptides, dyes and drugs can be simply dissolved in fish water. Additional advantages include: their small size, easy maintenance and breeding, and high productivity. Use of zebrafish as an alternative animal model for drug screening can greatly accelerate the drug screening process, decrease costs, and provide more accurate results than cell-based assays. There are currently more than 300 core zebrafish aquaculture facilities (2/3 are in the US), and the number of satellite labs is increasing rapidly due to development of modular breeding racks. This market is highly concentrated and products can be sold using a small sales force or through distributors.

Public Health Relevance:
Zebrafish has been shown to be a predictive animal model for assessing compound safety, toxicity, and efficacy. Although conventional sample handling can be adapted for use with processing zebrafish, development of appropriate analytical tools has not kept pace with the increasing use of this animal model for compound screening. In this research, we propose to develop a device to automate zebrafish processing.

Thesaurus Terms:
Air;Air Pressure;Animal Model;Animal Models And Related Studies;Aquaculture;Aquaporins;Assay;Bioassay;Biologic Assays;Biological Assay;Brachydanio Rerio;Breeding;Cell Communication And Signaling;Cell Signaling;Cells;Cognitive Discrimination;Collaborations;Collection;Coloring Agents;Danio Rerio;Development;Devices;Discrimination;Discrimination (Psychology);Drug Evaluation, Preclinical;Drug Screening;Drugs;Dyes;Embryo;Embryonic;Engineering;Engineerings;Evaluation Studies, Drug, Pre-Clinical;Evaluation Studies, Drug, Preclinical;Fishes;Goals;Head;Hydrogen Oxide;Intracellular Communication And Signaling;Light;Maintenance;Maintenances;Marketing;Medication;Peptides;Pharmaceutic Preparations;Pharmaceutical Preparations;Phase;Photoradiation;Preclinical Drug Evaluation;Pressure;Pressure- Physical Agent;Process;Productivity;Research;Residual;Residual State;Safety;Sales;Sampling;Screening Procedure;Signal Transduction;Signal Transduction Systems;Signaling;Staining Method;Stainings;Stains;Time;Toxic Effect;Toxicities;Vacuum;Water;Water Channel Proteins;Zebra Danio;Zebra Fish;Zebrafish;Analytical Tool;Base;Biological Signal Transduction;Cost;Design;Designing;Drug /Agent;Drug/Agent;Ergonomics;Experiment;Experimental Research;Experimental Study;Fish;Flasks;In Vivo;Marine Culture;Model Organism;Phase 1 Study;Phase 2 Study;Pressure;Prototype;Research Study;Screening;Screenings;Small Molecule;Tool;User-Friendly;Wasting;Water Channel;Water Transporter;Zebrafish Development