Chemical Genomics
The workflow of in vivo small molecule screens using zebrafish embryos is straightforward and highly customizable to the scientific investigation. The number of embryos, choice of chemical library, timing and duration of chemical exposure, chemical concentration, and embryonic stage are important variables that require optimization. To begin, zebrafish are organized into wells of a microarray plate. Small chemical molecules are then added to a specified concentration and incubation takes place for a varying amount of time. The phenotype of embryos from individual wells can be analyzed. Specifically of interest would be to search for any embryos in which the disease phenotype has been saved because the chemical applied to these embryos could be potential drugs. If any embryos are found to have a phenotype of interest further studies can be conducted on the chemical [2].
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