Methods and apparatuses for conducting assays in animals

Abstract

The invention provides apparatuses, systems, and methods for conducting assays in aquatic animals. The apparatuses, systems, and methods of the invention can be used to identify and/or characterize compounds that modulate morphological, anatomical, or behavioral characteristics. The apparatuses, systems, and methods of the invention can be used to identify and/or characterize compounds that modulate learning or memory.

1 . A method for screening for compounds that alter learning or memory in a test animal, comprising
 (a) culturing a test animal in a reaction well having a substantially transparent viewing surface, and which reaction well is capable of housing both a test animal and appropriate fluid for maintaining said test animal;   (b) training said test animal to react to a stimuli;   (c) exposing said trained animal to a compound; and   (d) observing changes in the reaction of the trained animal to the stimuli in the presence of the compound versus absence of the compound,   
       wherein a compound that alters the reaction of the trained animal to the stimuli is identified as a compound that alters learning or memory, and wherein the reactions and changes in the reactions of the test animal are measured using image analysis software installed on a computer. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the test animal is a chordate, invertebrate, hemichordate or protochordate. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the test animal is an aquatic animal. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the aquatic animal is a flatworm. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the aquatic animal is a planarian of the class Turbellaria. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the stimuli is light and/or an electrical current. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising a high-throughput method for screening a plurality of compounds in a plurality of reaction wells. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the reactions and changes in the reactions of the test animal are observed using a camera. 
     
     
         9 . Apparatus for conducting assays in an aquatic animal, comprising
 (a) a reaction well capable of housing fluid and an aquatic animal and having at least one, substantially transparent, viewing surface;   (b) an inlet, in fluid connection with the reaction well, for introducing fluid into the reaction well;   (c) an outlet, in fluid connection with the reaction well, for removing fluid from the reaction well; and   (d) a lid removably coupled to the reaction well and includes
 (i) at least one light source for providing a light stimulus to the animal in the reaction well, 
 (ii) at least one light source for providing background light to the reaction well, and 
 (iii) a circuit board for interconnection to (i) and (ii). 
   
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the apparatus includes a plurality of reaction wells and a plurality of removable lids. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the apparatus includes a plurality of reaction wells and a removable lid covering the plurality of reaction wells. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the removable lid includes a substantially transparent viewing surface. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 9  wherein the lid is removably coupled to the reaction well using at least one of a clip, a screw, a snap, tape, a magnetic element. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , further including an electrical element coupled to the reaction well for delivering an electrical current to the animal in the reaction well. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the electrical element includes at least one electrode. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the electrical element is affixed to at least one of an interior surface of the reaction well, the lid, the inlet and outlet. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the reaction well is made of plastic, glass, or lucite. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , further including an excitation source for providing electromagnetic radiation stimulus in the reaction well. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the lid includes at least one of an excitation source for providing electromagnetic radiation stimulus in the reaction well, an electrical element for delivering electrical current to the animal in the reaction well and a shield for excluding external stimuli. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , further including a shield for excluding external stimuli, wherein the shield includes at least one of an excitation source for providing an electromagnetic radiation stimulus to the animal in the reaction well and an electrical element for delivering electrical current to the animal in the reaction well. 
     
     
         21 - 22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . Apparatus for conducting assays in a test animal, comprising
 (a) a reaction well capable of housing a test animal and having at least one, substantially transparent, viewing surface;   (b) a removable lid;   (c) an electrical element for delivering an electrical current to the reaction well;   (d) at least one light source for providing a light stimulus to the animal in the reaction well; and   (e) at least one light source for providing background light to the reaction well.   
     
     
         24 - 29 . (canceled) 
     
     
         30 . The apparatus of  claim 23 , wherein the removable lid includes said at least one light source for providing light stimulus to the animal in the reaction well and said at least one light source for providing background light to the reaction well, and wherein the lid further includes a circuit board. 
     
     
         31 . The apparatus of  claim 23 , wherein the reaction well includes an inlet for introducing fluid into the reaction well. 
     
     
         32 . The apparatus of  claim 23 , wherein the reaction well includes an inlet for introducing fluid into the reaction well and an outlet for removing fluid from the reaction well. 
     
     
         33 . A system for conducting assays in a test animal, comprising
 (a) a reaction well capable of housing a test animal and having at least one substantially transparent viewing surface;   (b) a removable lid that reversibly covers the reaction well and includes
 (i) an electrical element for delivering an electrical current to the reaction well, 
 (ii) at least one light source for providing a light stimulus to the animal in the reaction well, 
 (iii) at least one light source for providing background light to the reaction well, and 
 (iv) a circuit board for interconnection to (i), (ii), and (iii); 
   (c) at least one camera;   (d) an interface box for interconnection between the camera, the circuit board, and a computer; and   (e) image analysis software for installation on a computer which can be interconnected to the interface box.   
     
     
         34 - 39 . (canceled) 
     
     
         40 . A method for training a test animal, comprising the steps of:
 providing an apparatus for conducting assays in a test animal, including:
 a reaction well capable of housing a test animal and having at least one, substantially transparent, viewing surface, 
 a stimulating element capable of providing a stimulus to the animal in the reaction well, and 
 a light source for providing background light to the reaction well; 
   acquiring an image showing the test animal at a first instance in time;   measuring based on the image at least one characteristic feature of the test animal;   determining a stimulus characteristic of the stimulus based at least on the image and a similar image for another instance in time; and   controlling the stimulating element to provide a stimulus having the stimulus characteristic to the test animal.   
     
     
         41 - 47 . (canceled) 
     
     
         48 . A computer program disposed on a computer readable medium, for training a test animal, the computer program including instructions for causing a processor to:
 provide an apparatus for conducting assays in a test animal, including:
 a reaction well capable of housing a test animal and having at least one, substantially transparent, viewing surface, 
 a stimulating element capable of providing a stimulus to the animal in the reaction well, and 
 a light source for providing background light to the reaction well; 
   acquire an image showing the test animal at a first instance in time;   measure based on the image at least one characteristic feature of the test animal;   determine a stimulus characteristic of the stimulus based at least on the image and a similar image for another instance in time; and   control the stimulating element to provide a stimulus having the stimulus characteristic to the test animal.