infocus #65 March 2022 Microscopy approaches in zebrafish

In many scientific fields, research is reliant on microscopy to acquire, describe, and model fundamental processes. With this need for microscopy and multitudes of microscopy techniques existing it can be challenging to identify the most suitable technique for a specific purpose. We here examine microscopy techniques to study cell fate control, vision development, and neuronal circuits covering various temporal, spatial, and computational scales in zebrafish.

DOI: 10.22443/rms.inf.1.221

Zebrafish have become a pivotal model organism across fields, providing new insights into our understanding from the cytoskeleton, over cells, to tissues, and organs.

Characteristics such as high genomic similarity to humans and experimental accessibility to genetic manipulation allow in-depth studies and novel insights.

However, the true strengths of zebrafish as model organism are that they develop ex utero, allowing them to be studied from the one-cell stage onwards, and that they are transparent, enabling non-invasive imaging from heartbeat to brain development [1].

Combining these features with a range of transgenic reporter lines has opened previously inconceivable opportunities to answer fundamental biological questions and push knowledge boundaries.

Due to these traits, the main type of microscopy used in zebrafish studies is light microscopy, mostly fluorescence-based and in more than 2 dimensions (2D). The produced microscopy data are highly complex with up to 6D, including space (x,y,z), wavelengths, time-points, and multi-points. Hence, a critical consideration is data handling and computational analysis to complement studies and reinform image acquisition, allowing truly data-driven microscopy.

We here examine the role of microscopy to study cell fate control, vision development, and neuronal circuits in zebrafish covering various temporal, spatial, and computational scales.

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