Model organisms
The MWP units are small, highly capable systems for tracking and providing stimuli for small organisms in multi well plates, petri dishes or custom chambers.
Benefits
All the Zantiks units are built along the same principles, enabling high throughput and easy-to-run experiments. The benefits of choosing Zantiks include:
- An isolated and stable testing environment
- Networked and controlled via a web browser
- Live video view and real-time video recording
- Includes software, uses the Zanscript language for experiment specification
- Real-time results processing and output in .csv format
- Integrated camera, computer, experimental chamber and built-in stimuli
- Takes up little bench space
- Only requires 12V power and a network connection
Target Studies
The MWP systems can perform a range of studies, including but not exclusive to:
- Locomotion
- Light/dark transitions
- Toxicity
- Startle response
- Habituation
- Prepulse inhibition
- Circadian rhythm
- Optogenetics
NOTE: this is not a complete list of all the studies that the systems are capable of. Please contact us if you have any specific studies in mind.
Zantiks MWP kit
The MWP system has an overall unit size of 190mm width x 230mm length x 480mm height and is fully integrated with:
- Zantiks proprietary software
- Computer
- Camera
- Overhead lights
- Audio/sound output
- Temperature monitoring
- A vibration plate
- A light stimulation plate
- Standard temperature control
Built-in stimuli
- Overhead illumination – colour, brightness and duration can be specified with millisecond accuracy.
- Can be used for ambient lighting, circadian rhythm entrainment and light flashes.
- Vibratory stimulus – duration, intensity and frequency can be precisely controlled with millisecond accuracy.
- Suitable for generating startle responses and for PPI.
- Audio stimuli - allows playback of *.wav files through a range of speaker options.
- Suitable for startles, predator cues, vocal calls of conspecifics, etc.
Included equipment
Light stimulation plate 🡕
Uses LED lighting to provide a bright light stimulus. Suitable for optogenetics, startle responses and PPI. Available in a range of wavelengths including white, blue (470nm) and green (530nm). Other wavelengths are available, contact us to discuss your requirements.
- Plugs directly into the MWP units - No need for additional power supply!
- Control both the brightness (Lux), frequency and duration of the stimulus through Zanscript with millisecond accuracy.
NOTE: we have confirmed the light stimulation plate can stimulate zebrafish larvae, and adult Drosophila, but we recommend full evaluation of stimulation performance in different wells.
Standard temperature control unit 🡕
Allows raising the temperature above that of ambient room temperature. Suitable for maintaining favourable temperatures, or for heat shock.
- Small footprint (total bench area required, 30cm x 30cm); connects directly to the side of the MWP unit.
- Powered entirely from the MWP unit itself and controlled from the Zantiks scripting language.
- Operates via moving air through the testing chamber.
- Control of the temperature up to 10°C above ambient.
- Drosophila experiments, in a room at 20°C, you can achieve the standard 22°C or 25°C
- Zebrafish embryos and larvae experiments, in a room at 25°C, you could achieve the standard 28°C.
NOTE: As it operates via moving air, it may be beneficial for some experiments (such as long-term or animals that require humidity) to use lids or covers on the multi-well plates / petri dishes to reduce evaporation from the chambers containing animals.
Add-on equipment
There are many different bioassay plates and equipment available for the MWP units. Please see the Zantiks Optional Add-Ons page for additional equipment offered.
How to operate
Fully networked, Zantiks units are supplied with a router and controlled via a web browser, allowing users to operate them from a phone, tablet, laptop, PC, Mac or Chromebook.
From the web browser on your device you can access the Zantiks Control Console towrite & edit scripts, start & stop services (i.e., experiments), view the live video feed, and download results (.csv files) or media files.
For details on how to use the Zantiks Control Console, see the Zantiks Control Console manual.
Tracking and video recording
Live tracking of up to 96 single-housed small animals can be carried out in the MWP up to 30fps. Video recordings may be made simultaneously. The cameras can produce high-speed video at 600fps.
Light/dark transitions & locomotion monitoring for zebrafish larvae in a 24-well plate in the Zantiks MWP
Startle response of adult Drosophila of a light off pulse at 600fps in the Zantiks MWP
Software features
All Zantiks data output is exported live and in realtime as a *.csv file. The system can export up to four separate data files and four separate video files simultaneously. Output options include:
- Distance travelled (mm)
- Mean pixel change
- Zone use
- Time spent in zone (sec)
- Distance travelled in zone (mm)
- Number of entries into zone
- XY coordinate data
- XYZ coordinate data
- Heatmaps
- Track trace drawing
- Realtime & timelapse video
- Image capture
- Video labelling
All Zantiks systems are operated via Zanscript proprietary scripting language which allows for:
- Open loop scripting
- Closed loop scripting
- Operant training/learning
- Control of all stimuli with millisecond accuracy
