News & Publications
Behavioral effects of visual stimuli in adult zebrafish using a novel eight-tank imaging system
March 11, 2024
Animal behavior is complex, and behavior analysis can greatly help to understand brain function. This study takes advantage of adult zebrafish as a model organism to study behavior in a novel behavioral setup allowing for the concurrent imaging of 8 adult zebrafish.
MCB Graduate Program Retreat
September 1, 2023
Congratulations Narendra Joshi for joining the MCB graduate program!
Novel use of FDA-approved drugs identified by cluster analysis of behavioral profiles
April 21, 2022
We screened a small-molecule library with FDA-approved drugs for effects on behavior in zebrafish larvae, imaged in a 384-well format. We found that various drugs affect activity, habituation, startle responses, excitability, and optomotor responses.
NIH R01 Award on "Emerging imaging technologies for automated analyses of calcineurin-dependent brain function"
September, 2020
The laboratory of the principal investigator developed an imaging system for automated analyses of behavior in zebrafish larvae. This imaging system can measure larval responses to moving visual stimuli in microplates, which is not possible with commercially-available imaging systems. The capabilities of this imaging system will be further expanded for automated analyses of complex behaviors in a 384-well format. The project is guided by the central hypothesis that novel imaging technologies for high-throughput analyses of vertebrate behavior will contribute to the discovery of novel treatments for neural dysfunction.
Drug repurposing for neurodegenerative diseases using Zebrafish behavioral profiles
January 6, 2024
Using our previously developed neural network model Z-LaP tracker, we performed a high-throughput screening of 876 FDA-approved drugs to identify compounds that affect zebrafish larval behavior in a manner consistent with the distinct behavior induced by calcineurin inhibitors.
An 8-cage imaging system for the automated analysis of mouse behavior
May 19, 2023
We developed a novel 8-cage imaging system, with animated visual stimuli, for automated analyses of mouse behavior in 22-h overnight recordings.
Using high-throughput screening to study drugs affecting the calcineurin-NFAT pathway in zebrafish
April 7, 2022
Congratulations Rahma Ibrahim for presenting an excellent poster during the Annual Biological Sciences Senior Research and Capstone Poster Day!
Analysis of vertebrate vision in a 384-well imaging system
September 27, 2019
This study introduces a novel imaging system for measuring visually-guided behaviors in larval zebrafish. The imaging system is the first to image four 96-well plates with a single camera for automated measurements of activity in a 384-well format. In addition, it is the first system to project moving visual stimuli and analyze the optomotor response in the wells of a 96-well plate.
CSHL Zebrafish Neurobiology Conference
November 15, 2023
The Creton lab attended the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Zebrafish Neurobiology conference in New York.
Z-LaP Tracker: High-throughput quantification of zebrafish larval behavior
February 23, 2023
Zebrafish Larvae Position Tracker (Z-LaP Tracker) is a modification of the markerless position estimation software DeepLabCut designed to quantify zebrafish larval behavior in a high-throughput 384-well setting. We utilized the high-contrast features of zebrafish larvae – the eyes and the yolk – for our behavioral analysis.
A zebrafish model for calcineurin-dependent brain function
August 20, 2021
This study examines the effects of proINDY, cyclosporine and tacrolimus on behavior, using zebrafish larvae as a model system. To suppress calcineurin signaling, larvae were treated with cyclosporine and tacrolimus; to activate calcineurin-NFAT signaling, larvae were treated with proINDY. The resulting opposing effects on activity and visually-guided behaviors suggest their regulation by the calcineurin-NFAT signaling pathway.
Analysis of vertebrate vision in a 384-well imaging system
July, 2019
Congratulations Sara Tucker Edmister for presenting a brilliant poster at ZDM12, the 12th meeting of the Zebrafish Disease Models Society in Boston!