Recent Advancements in Fish-on-Chip: A Comprehensive Review

Zebrafish (<i>Danio rerio</i>) emerged as a suitable vertebrate model organism in the 1960s, owing to its transparent embryos and ease of breeding. Research utilizing zebrafish as a model organism gained significant momentum in the 1970s, particularly in the field of developmental biolog...

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Main Authors: Tushar Nath, Hua Tan
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-03-01
Series:Fluids
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2311-5521/10/4/88
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author Tushar Nath
Hua Tan
author_facet Tushar Nath
Hua Tan
author_sort Tushar Nath
collection DOAJ
description Zebrafish (<i>Danio rerio</i>) emerged as a suitable vertebrate model organism in the 1960s, owing to its transparent embryos and ease of breeding. Research utilizing zebrafish as a model organism gained significant momentum in the 1970s, particularly in the field of developmental biology. Over the years, zebrafish has become an indispensable model across various domains of biological research. However, conventional techniques for handling zebrafish in research settings have been limited by challenges related to survival rates, throughput, and imaging capabilities. The advancements in microfluidics and Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) technology have addressed many of these challenges, enabling significant progress in zebrafish-based studies. The integration of microchannels, which ensure laminar flow for precise liquid handling, alongside microsensors and actuators for trapping mechanisms and high-resolution imaging, has greatly enhanced experimental efficiency and precision. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of very recent advancements in Fish-on-Chip (FOC) technologies, with a focus on their applications in zebrafish research, including trapping, imaging, transportation, and studies involving drug screening and disease modeling. Furthermore, we discuss recent efforts in retaining progressively motile zebrafish sperm, which is increasingly critical to meeting the rising demand for diverse zebrafish lines. Finally, we discuss an automated microfluidic-based fish farm developed using these technologies and conclude the review by highlighting potential future directions for Fish-on-Chip (FOC) technology.
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spelling doaj-art-bc54626e0a0c48a69c59c5e18d43a0272025-08-20T02:17:14ZengMDPI AGFluids2311-55212025-03-011048810.3390/fluids10040088Recent Advancements in Fish-on-Chip: A Comprehensive ReviewTushar Nath0Hua Tan1School of Engineering and Computer Science, Washington State University-Vancouver, Vancouver, WA 98686, USASchool of Engineering and Computer Science, Washington State University-Vancouver, Vancouver, WA 98686, USAZebrafish (<i>Danio rerio</i>) emerged as a suitable vertebrate model organism in the 1960s, owing to its transparent embryos and ease of breeding. Research utilizing zebrafish as a model organism gained significant momentum in the 1970s, particularly in the field of developmental biology. Over the years, zebrafish has become an indispensable model across various domains of biological research. However, conventional techniques for handling zebrafish in research settings have been limited by challenges related to survival rates, throughput, and imaging capabilities. The advancements in microfluidics and Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) technology have addressed many of these challenges, enabling significant progress in zebrafish-based studies. The integration of microchannels, which ensure laminar flow for precise liquid handling, alongside microsensors and actuators for trapping mechanisms and high-resolution imaging, has greatly enhanced experimental efficiency and precision. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of very recent advancements in Fish-on-Chip (FOC) technologies, with a focus on their applications in zebrafish research, including trapping, imaging, transportation, and studies involving drug screening and disease modeling. Furthermore, we discuss recent efforts in retaining progressively motile zebrafish sperm, which is increasingly critical to meeting the rising demand for diverse zebrafish lines. Finally, we discuss an automated microfluidic-based fish farm developed using these technologies and conclude the review by highlighting potential future directions for Fish-on-Chip (FOC) technology.https://www.mdpi.com/2311-5521/10/4/88Fish-on-Chip (FOC)microfluidicshigh throughput screeningimagingstimulation
spellingShingle Tushar Nath
Hua Tan
Recent Advancements in Fish-on-Chip: A Comprehensive Review
Fluids
Fish-on-Chip (FOC)
microfluidics
high throughput screening
imaging
stimulation
title Recent Advancements in Fish-on-Chip: A Comprehensive Review
title_full Recent Advancements in Fish-on-Chip: A Comprehensive Review
title_fullStr Recent Advancements in Fish-on-Chip: A Comprehensive Review
title_full_unstemmed Recent Advancements in Fish-on-Chip: A Comprehensive Review
title_short Recent Advancements in Fish-on-Chip: A Comprehensive Review
title_sort recent advancements in fish on chip a comprehensive review
topic Fish-on-Chip (FOC)
microfluidics
high throughput screening
imaging
stimulation
url https://www.mdpi.com/2311-5521/10/4/88
work_keys_str_mv AT tusharnath recentadvancementsinfishonchipacomprehensivereview
AT huatan recentadvancementsinfishonchipacomprehensivereview