The Zebrafish Embryonic Genotyper (ZEG) is an automated microfluidic system that extracts genetic material from live zebrafish embryos. The genetic material can then be used for downstream DNA amplification, identification, and analysis.
The ZEG has rapid extraction, with 96 embryos being sampled in an hour. Furthermore, the sampling process is non-destructive meaning the embryos can be sampled, and then be raised to adulthood.
Other benefits of the ZEG system include robust to detecting different genotypes and the ZEG is simple to use, with few moving parts. The ZEG also offers a significant savings of time and money. Zebrafish can be sampled at the embryonic stage and can be sampled in a fraction of the time required by fin-clipping.
ZEG research & development has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, USA with strong collaboration with zebrafish labs around the globe. The ZEG is a critical tool that can add value to the efforts of research teams that rely on zebrafish models.