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Digital Transformation in Zebrafish Developmental Toxicology

Zebrafish developmental toxicology is a field that uses zebrafish as a model organism to study the effects of chemicals and environmental factors on embryonic and larval development. Zebrafish have many advantages for this purpose, such as high fecundity, external fertilization and development, genetic and phenotypic similarity to humans, and transparency of embryos and larvae that allows for easy observation and manipulation. Zebrafish developmental toxicology has been applied to various areas, such as screening for teratogens, neurotoxins, endocrine disruptors, and carcinogens, as well as elucidating the molecular mechanisms and pathways of developmental toxicity.

Digital transformation is the process of using digital technologies to create new or modify existing processes, products, services, or business models. Digital transformation can enhance efficiency, quality, innovation, and customer satisfaction. In zebrafish developmental toxicology, digital transformation can involve the use of high-throughput screening methods, automated image analysis and phenotyping tools, machine learning and artificial intelligence algorithms, data integration and visualization platforms, and computational modeling and simulation approaches. Digital transformation can enable zebrafish developmental toxicology to generate more data, faster and more accurately, and to extract more insights and knowledge from the data.

Recent development of digital transformation in zebrafish developmental toxicology has been driven by several factors, such as the increasing availability and diversity of chemicals to be tested, the growing demand for alternative methods to reduce animal use and cost, the advancement of digital technologies and tools, and the collaboration and standardization among researchers and stakeholders. Some examples of recent development of digital transformation in zebrafish developmental toxicology are:

- The use of zebrafish in systems toxicology for developmental toxicity testing, which integrates multiple levels of biological information (such as transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, epigenomics) with phenotypic data to understand the complex interactions between chemicals and biological systems [1].

- The systematic developmental toxicity assessment of a structurally diverse library of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in zebrafish using a multi-dimensional in vivo platform that combines embryonic and larval photomotor response assays with morphological endpoints [2].

- The development of a zebrafish-based pipeline for high-content screening of nanomaterials that incorporates automated exposure systems, high-resolution imaging devices, image analysis software, and machine learning classifiers [3].

These examples illustrate how recent development of digital transformation in zebrafish developmental toxicology can provide more comprehensive and reliable data for hazard identification and risk assessment of chemicals and nanomaterials. However, there are also some challenges and limitations that need to be addressed, such as the validation and standardization of methods and protocols, the quality control and management of data, the interpretation and extrapolation of results across species and endpoints, and the ethical and social implications of using digital technologies in animal research.

References:

[1] Nishimura Y., Inoue A., Sasagawa S., Koiwa J., Kawaguchi K., Kawase R., Maruyama T., Kim S., Tanaka T. (2016). Using zebrafish in systems toxicology for developmental toxicity testing. Congenit Anom (Kyoto). 56(1):18-27.

[2] Truong L., Rericha Y., Thunga P., Marvel S., Wallis D., Simonich M.T., Field J.A., Cao D., Reif D.M., Tanguay R.L. (2022). Systematic developmental toxicity assessment of a structurally diverse library of PFAS in zebrafish. J Hazard Mater. 431:128615.

[3] Zhang X., Wang Y., Chen Y., Li Y., Zhang H., Xu A., Jiang Q. (2019). Zebrafish-based pipeline for high-content screening of nanomaterials. Nanotoxicology. 13(8):1079-1095.

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Digital Transformation in Zebrafish Developmental Toxicology

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