Multiple Embryo Time-Lapse Imaging of Zebrafish Development

Understanding the dynamics of developmental and cellular processes requires documentation of their changes with appropriate temporal and spatial resolution. Furthermore, simultaneous recording from a population of embryos under identical conditions allows statistical estimates of precision and variability to be made. This chapter describes a protocol for time-lapse microscopy of multiple embryos in parallel developing under tightly controlled conditions. This method is currently best suited to follow tissue-scale morphogenetic movements with temporal resolution in the minute range, for hours or even days. Applications of the method include the comparison of the dynamics of a process of interest between groups of wild-type embryos and their mutant siblings or between embryos treated with different chemical compounds. Temperature control allows for the investigation of the temperature dependence of a process of interest.