Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 17, 2026
Small Molecule Screening and Toxicity Testing in Early-stage Zebrafish Larvae
Published on: March 7, 2025
Chemical Screening in Zebrafish
Colleen A Brady1,2,3, Andrew J Rennekamp1,2,3, Randall T Peterson4,5,6
1Cardiovascular Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 149 13th Street, Charlestown, MA, 02129, USA.
Abstract:
Phenotypic small molecule screens in zebrafish have gained popularity as an unbiased approach to probe biological processes. In this chapter we outline basic methods for performing chemical screens with larval zebrafish including breeding large numbers of embryos, plating larval fish into multi-well dishes, and adding small molecules to these wells. We also highlight important considerations when designing and interpreting the results of a phenotypic screen and possible follow-up approaches, including popular methods used to identify the mechanism of action of a chemical compound.
