zOPT: an open source optical projection tomography system and methods for rapid 3D zebrafish imaging

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Imaging
• Developmental Biology
• Microscopy

Background:

• Optical projection tomography (OPT) offers 3D imaging with micrometer resolution for millimeter-sized samples.
• Zebrafish embryos and larvae are ideal model organisms for OPT due to their size and optical transparency.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present an open-source, low-cost OPT platform for high-resolution 3D imaging.
• To develop an automated workflow for accurate 3D reconstruction of zebrafish.
• To facilitate large-scale genetic and chemical screening using zebrafish larvae.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of an open-source OPT platform utilizing a customized sample stage and 3D-printed components.
• Development of a two-step image processing workflow for center of rotation correction and 3D reconstruction.
• Utilized synthetic and real data from live and fixed zebrafish for validation.

Main Results:

• Achieved high-quality 3D reconstructions of zebrafish samples.
• Demonstrated the effectiveness of the automated workflow and image processing techniques.
• Validated the platform's performance with both synthetic and biological data.

Conclusions:

• The presented 3D-printable OPT platform is a low-cost, open-design solution for high-resolution 3D imaging.
• The system facilitates rapid sample loading/unloading and is suitable for researchers of diverse backgrounds.
• Enables efficient large-scale experiments, particularly for zebrafish larvae research in genetic and chemical screening.