A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal
Customizable FDM-based zebrafish larva mold for live imaging
Authors: Rivera Pineda, Marcela Xiomara; Lehtimäki, Jaakko; Jacquemet, Guillaume
Publication year: 2026
Journal: Biology Open
Article number: bio.062406
eISSN: 2046-6390
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1242/bio.062406
Publication's open availability at the time of reporting: Open Access
Publication channel's open availability : Open Access publication channel
Web address : https://doi.org/10.1242/bio.062406
Self-archived copy’s web address: https://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/516202831
Self-archived copy's licence: CC BY
Self-archived copy's version: Publisher`s PDF
Accurate and reproducible orientation of zebrafish larvae is essential for high-resolution live imaging but remains difficult with standard agarose mounting. Although previous methods have used 3D-printed tools, often fabricated via stereolithography (SLA), here we present an orientation tool made via fused deposition modeling (FDM) and enhanced with a thin resin coating to improve surface smoothness and performance. This design creates consistent, larval-shaped wells that orient larvae dorsoventrally. The molds, designed to fit standard glass-bottom imaging dishes, are inexpensive to produce on common desktop 3D printers and can be easily customized to fit different imaging setups using the open-source design files. This approach enables reliable, long-term live imaging of multiple larvae and extends the use of low-cost additive manufacturing in zebrafish imaging workflows.
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Funding information in the publication:
This study was funded by the Research Council of Finland (338537, 371287, and 374180 to G.J.), the Sigrid Juselius Foundation (to G.J.), the Cancer Society of Finland (Syöpäjärjestöt; to G.J.), and the Solutions for Health strategic funding for Åbo Akademi University (to G.J.). Additionally, this research was supported by the InFLAMES Flagships Programme of the Research Council of Finland (decision numbers: 337530, 337531, 357910, and 35791). G.J. is supported by the Finnish Cancer Institute (K. Albin Johansson Professorship). This work was supported by the Research Council of Finland, FIRI 2023 grant (decision numbers: 359073, 358879) and FIRI 2024 (grant decision numbers: 367582 and 367577).
