Publications by authors named "Merlin Lange"

Elucidating organismal developmental processes requires a comprehensive understanding of cellular lineages in the spatial, temporal, and molecular domains. In this study, we introduce Zebrahub, a dynamic atlas of zebrafish embryonic development that integrates single-cell sequencing time course data with lineage reconstructions facilitated by light-sheet microscopy. This atlas offers high-resolution and in-depth molecular insights into zebrafish development, achieved through the sequencing of individual embryos across ten developmental stages, complemented by reconstructions of cellular trajectories.

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Single-cell sequencing has revolutionized our understanding of cellular heterogeneity and cell state, enabling investigations across diverse fields such as developmental biology, immunology, and cancer biology. However, obtaining a high-quality single-cell suspension is still challenging, particularly when starting with limited materials like Zebrafish embryos, a powerful animal model for studying developmental processes and human diseases. Here, we present an optimized protocol for isolating single cells from individual zebrafish embryos, offering a valuable resource for researchers interested in working with limited starting material.

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Article Synopsis
  • Tracking live cells in various imaging scenarios is essential for studying biological processes, but it’s challenging in complex tissues due to ambiguous segmentation.
  • Ultrack is a new cell-tracking method that integrates multiple segmentation algorithms and uses temporal consistency to improve tracking accuracy, especially in crowded environments.
  • The method has been tested on large datasets from different organisms and outperforms existing techniques, and it's available as a free Python package with plugins for easy use in research settings.
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The ability to quantify transcriptional dynamics in individual cells via live imaging has revolutionized our understanding of gene regulation. However, such measurements are lacking in the context of vertebrate embryos. We addressed this deficit by applying MS2-MCP mRNA labeling to the quantification of transcription in zebrafish, a model vertebrate.

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A growing community is constructing a next-generation file format (NGFF) for bioimaging to overcome problems of scalability and heterogeneity. Organized by the Open Microscopy Environment (OME), individuals and institutes across diverse modalities facing these problems have designed a format specification process (OME-NGFF) to address these needs. This paper brings together a wide range of those community members to describe the cloud-optimized format itself-OME-Zarr-along with tools and data resources available today to increase FAIR access and remove barriers in the scientific process.

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A growing community is constructing a next-generation file format (NGFF) for bioimaging to overcome problems of scalability and heterogeneity. Organized by the Open Microscopy Environment (OME), individuals and institutes across diverse modalities facing these problems have designed a format specification process (OME-NGFF) to address these needs. This paper brings together a wide range of those community members to describe the cloud-optimized format itself -- OME-Zarr -- along with tools and data resources available today to increase FAIR access and remove barriers in the scientific process.

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Article Synopsis
  • The DaXi microscope combines the benefits of standard and light-sheet microscopy, allowing for quick, high-quality imaging of large specimens.
  • Key features include a custom remote focusing objective for improved field of view and resolution, fast volumetric imaging, and multi-view capabilities for better coverage.
  • It achieves impressive resolution of 450 nm laterally and 2 μm axially, successfully imaging various biological systems, including Drosophila and zebrafish, even capturing multiple embryos simultaneously.
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Article Synopsis
  • Aquatic animals, especially zebrafish, are increasingly used in biology research, leading to a demand for specialized aquatic facilities and increased challenges in animal feeding.
  • We developed an open-source automatic feeding system, Zebrafish Automatic Feeder (ZAF), which standardizes food distribution, is cost-effective, user-friendly, and adaptable to different lab settings.
  • The advanced version, ZAF+, allows for precise food control based on fish density and is modular, ensuring it meets various user needs while maintaining zebrafish culture quality.
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Polymorphisms in the gene coding for the adhesion G-protein coupled receptor LPHN3 are a risk factor for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Transient down-regulation of latrophilin3.1 (lphn3.

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Zebrafish exhibit remarkable alterations in behaviour and morphology as they develop from early larval stages to mature adults. In this study we compare the locomotion parameters of six common zebrafish strains from two different laboratories to determine the stability and repeatability of these behaviours. Our results demonstrate large variability in locomotion and fast swim events between strains and between laboratories across time.

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