RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Zebrabase: An intuitive tracking solution for aquatic model organisms
JF bioRxiv
FD Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
SP 248666
DO 10.1101/248666
A1 Jana Oltova
A1 Jindrich Jindrich
A1 Ctibor Skuta
A1 Ondrej Svoboda
A1 Olga Machonova
A1 Petr Bartunek
YR 2018
UL http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2018/01/16/248666.abstract
AB Small fish species, like zebrafish or medaka, are constantly gaining popularity in basic research and disease modeling as a useful alternative to rodent model organisms. However, the tracking options for fish within a facility are rather limited. Here, we present an aquatic species tracking database, Zebrabase, developed in our zebrafish research and breeding facility that represents a practical and scalable solution and an intuitive platform for scientists, fish managers and caretakers, in both small and large facilities. Zebrabase is a scalable, crossplatform fish tracking database developed especially for research fish facilities but can be easily adapted for a wide variety of aquatic model organisms housed in tanks. It provides sophisticated tracking, reporting, and management functions that help keep the animalrelated records well-organized including a QR code functionality for tank labeling. The implementation of various user roles ensures a functional hierarchy and customized access to specific functions and data. In addition, Zebrabase enables easy personalization of rooms and racks, and its advanced statistics and reporting options make it an excellent tool for creating periodic reports of animal usage and productivity. The communication between the facility and researchers can be streamlined by the requesting capabilities of the database. Finally, Zebrabase also features an interactive breeding history and a smart interface with advanced visualizations and intuitive color coding allowing to speed up the processes.