Data_Sheet_2_A Customizable Low-Cost System for Massively Parallel Zebrafish Behavioral Phenotyping.ZIP

High-throughput behavioral phenotyping is critical to genetic or chemical screening approaches. Zebrafish larvae are amenable to high-throughput behavioral screening because of their rapid development, small size, and conserved vertebrate brain architecture. Existing commercial behavioral phenotyping systems are expensive and not easily modified for new assays. Here, we describe a modular, highly adaptable, and low-cost system. Along with detailed assembly and operation instructions, we provide data acquisition software and a robust, parallel analysis pipeline. We validate our approach by analyzing stimulus response profiles in larval zebrafish, confirming prepulse inhibition phenotypes of two previously isolated mutants, and highlighting best practices for growing larvae prior to behavioral testing. Our new design thus allows rapid construction and streamlined operation of many large-scale behavioral setups with minimal resources and fabrication expertise, with broad applications to other aquatic organisms.

高通量行为表型分析对于遗传或化学筛选研究至关重要。斑马鱼幼体因发育迅速、体型小巧且拥有保守的脊椎动物脑结构，非常适合用于高通量行为筛选。现有的商用行为表型分析系统不仅成本高昂，且难以针对新型实验方案进行改造。本研究介绍一款模块化、高适配性且低成本的实验系统。除提供详细的组装与操作指南外，本研究还配套了数据采集软件与一套稳定的并行分析流程。我们通过分析斑马鱼幼体的刺激响应谱验证了本方法的有效性：确认了两株此前已分离的突变体的前脉冲抑制（prepulse inhibition）表型，并梳理了行为测试前幼体饲养的最优操作规范。因此，本新型系统仅需少量资源与制造技术即可快速搭建并流畅运行多套大规模行为实验装置，且可广泛应用于其他水生生物研究。