Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide materials and methods for performing phenotype-based chemical screens. Embodiments disclosed herein pertain to the use of a battery of high-throughput zebrafish behavioral assays to generate behavioral profiles. In accordance with these embodiments, responses to various chemical compounds with known and unknown biological functions can be used to generate behavioral profiles. Embodiments also involve generating behavioral profiles based on genetic mutations or environmental perturbations. Establishing databases of behavioral profiles facilitates identification of novel chemicals that phenocopy effects of therapeutic agents and/or that modulate genetic or environmental behavioral profiles, thereby providing a basis for not only assessing the properties of known chemical compounds but also for developing novel treatments for human diseases.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide materials and methods for performing phenotype-based chemical screens. Embodiments disclosed herein pertain to the use of a battery of high-throughput zebrafish behavioral assays to generate behavioral profiles. In accordance with these embodiments, responses to various chemical compounds with known and unknown biological functions can be used to generate behavioral profiles. Embodiments also involve generating behavioral profiles based on genetic mutations or environmental perturbations. Establishing databases of behavioral profiles facilitates identification of novel chemicals that phenocopy effects of therapeutic agents and/or that modulate genetic or environmental behavioral profiles, thereby providing a basis for not only assessing the properties of known chemical compounds but also for developing novel treatments for human diseases.