Methods of determining whether a toxicant is present in a consumable product, which comprise contacting a teleost embryo with an extract from a sample of the consumable product and determining whether the extract exerts a toxicity effect on the embryo.

Methods of determining whether a toxicant is present in a cosmetic product, which comprise contacting a teleost embryo with a sample of the cosmetic product or an extract from a sample of the cosmetic product and determining whether the sample or the extract from the sample exerts a toxicity effect on the embryo.

Methods for identifying animals that are genetically superior, drugs, nutritional strategies, or physiological manipulations that improve feed efficiency or productivity of animals, e.g., selecting animals that are genetically superior for feed efficiency or productivity based on metabolic rates of particular tissues, wherein metabolic rates of certain tissues such as skeletal muscle are inversely proportional to feed efficiency, while metabolic rates of other tissues such as mammary gland are directly proportional to milk production. Thus, animals with low skeletal muscle metabolic rates are generally more feed efficient, e.g., gain more weight per unit of food. The methods herein may be used to improve the genetics, nutrition, and handling or animals more efficiently produced animal products, e.g., meat production, milk, production, egg production, wool production, etc. The methods herein may also be used to determine estimated breeding values of animals for feed efficiency, growth, or production.

Provided is a novel probe for a biological specimen for labelling by itself and clearly visualizing one of a specific cell and a specific cell organ in a living body, the probe having excellent spectral characteristics and exhibiting excellent storage stability. The probe for a biological specimen contains, as an active agent, at least one kind of compound represented by a general formula (I). ##STR00001##

The present disclosure relates to devices, systems, and methods for screening compounds and materials for otoxicity and otoprotective activity. In particular, the present invention relates to a model organism (e.g., Danio rerio) and system for measuring behavior associated with hair cell loss.

Discloses are a method for detecting Norovirus using a Norovirus animal model, a method for screening an antivial agent against Norovirus, and a composition for neutralizing the infection with an enteric virus, containing concanavalin A as an active ingredient, so that the method for detecting Norovirus can allow the distinction between infectious Norovirus and non-infectious Norovirus, and the composition can neutralize a virus causing food poisoning.

The invention provides a labeling composition for an intraocular tissue of a living individual, which specifically labels the intraocular tissue without need of an invasive operation such as exposure of an ocular tissue or injection of a staining agent into the ocular tissue or a nerve tissue linking to the ocular tissue, a method of noninvasively labeling an intraocular tissue of a living individual, and a screening method using the labeling composition for the intraocular tissues. The composition contains a compound capable of labeling at least a photoreceptor cell layer of a retina, wherein the compound is a staining compound having a particular structure as a partial structure thereof.

Method and systems for measuring growth rate in plant or aquatic animal species such as embryonic or adult fish. The methods and systems utilize the measurement of NADH.sub.2 production by detecting a colorimetric and fluorescent shift when a redox indicator such as resazurin is added to a sample. The colorimetric/fluorescent shift is indicative of the reduction of the redox indicator by NADH.sub.2. The methods and systems of the present invention may be used to predict growth potential of a plant or animal, and measuring the growth rate of said plant or animal may be helpful for identifying and selecting individuals within a group that have greater growth potential. The methods and systems of the present invention may help eliminate the need for special equipment (e.g., for measuring oxygen consumption), decrease variability of measures, and minimize the effects of external factors (feeding/hormonal status).

What is provided is a fusion protein including any one of proteins of (A) to (C) below; and a tag protein that dimerizes or multimerizes in response to a stimulus, (A) a protein that consists of an amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 1; (B) a protein that consists of an amino acid sequence having 70% or more identity with the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 1 and has an aggregate-forming ability, and (C) a protein that consists of an amino acid sequence obtained by performing deletion, substitution, insertion, or addition of one or several amino acids with respect to the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 1 and has the aggregate-forming ability.

This disclosure provides fluidic devices and methods for performing a bioassay, for example bioassays performed on zebrafish. The disclosure provides various fluidic devices for performing a bioassay that include a sample chamber in fluid communication with an air valve; and a bioassay channel that can include a first bioassay region, for example for studying zebrafish in early stages of development and a second bioassay region, for studying zebrafish in later stages of development. The first bioassay region and second bioassay region can be defined using pillars, such as a first and second array of pillars. The fluidic device can have additional structures that are provided herein. Also provided herein are sample loading manifold devices for loading zebrafish embryos into fluidic devices and reagent delivery manifold devices for delivering reagents to fluidic devices. Furthermore, methods using any or all of the devices are provided.