Through the ERC-PoC-PhenoTECH project we have developed the technology for a high-throughput platform for multimodal pharmacological screening and phenotyping of genetic models of disease. This has an unprecedented capability to monitor and control multiple parameters, leveraging significant contributions to fundamental and biopharmaceutical research by strongly enhancing screening capability. The technology includes custom designed multi-well plates with the capacity for in-well perfusion of solutions without the need for removal of biological samples, greatly facilitating and optimizing drug delivery, wash-out, temperature and oxygenation control. In addition, state of the art optical systems, with motion (motor) tracking facilitate analysis of spontaneous and evoked locomotion of zebrafish larvae. This is followed by online detection, tracking, and analysis capability enabling closed-loop experimentation. PhenoTECH provides an alternative to traditional animal testing in mammals, which will be phased out in the future. It promises to dramatically contribute to fundamental research and drug discovery in the pharma industry, by introducing a novel platform to accelerate on a massive scale multimodal pre-clinical solutions for major health disorders in EU and beyond.
