Neuroscience Research using Small Animals on a Chip: From Nematodes to Zebrafish Larvae

Abstract

Implementation of microfluidic technology to study small animal models such as Caenorhabditis elegans worms (soil-dwelling nematodes), Drosophila melanogaster (fruit fly) and larvae of Danio rerio (zebrafish) provides great opportunities for in vivo quantification of neuronal activities and behavioral responses. By controlling the internal environment, microfluidic devices can manipulate animal models with precision and cause minimal damage to the specimen. Due to these advantages, microfluidic devices have been applied to high-throughput drug screening, high-throughput brain-wide activity mapping, analyzing animals' neuronal and behavioral responses to different external stimuli, microinjection, and neuronal regeneration. In this paper, we review different microfluidic devices and techniques that allow the manipulation of small animal models to study brain functions and behavioral responses. Furthermore, biomedical applications of microfluidic systems, technical challenges, and future directions in the whole brain and animal research on a chip will be discussed.

On-chip brain slice stimulation: precise control of electric fields and tissue orientation

“…1,2 Neuroscientists have leveraged this technology to study numerous neural phenomena. This includes monitoring neural development and its behavioral relevance in small animal models in vivo (C. elegans, fruit flies, and zebrafish) 3,4 or investigating neural responses to external electrical, mechanical, or chemical stimuli 5,6 in ex vivo human and rodent brain tissue. 7,8 Additionally, in vitro cultured brain organoids or brain-on-a-chip models are frequently used to reduce or replace animal experimentation.…”

Brain stimulation-on-a-chip: a neuromodulation platform for brain slices

“…1,2 Neuroscientists have leveraged this technology to study numerous neural phenomena. This includes monitoring neural development and its behavioral relevance in small animal models in vivo (nematode worms, fruit flies, and zebrafish) 3,4 or investigating neural responses to external electrical, mechanical, or chemical stimuli 5,6 in ex vivo human and rodent brain tissue. 7,8 Additionally, in vitro cultured brain organoids or brain-on-a-chip models are frequently used to reduce or replace animal experimentation.…”