A Simple and Inexpensive Microinjection System for Zebrafish Embryos and Larvae

Microinjection is a widely used technique to inject defined volumes and concentrations of substances and explore their physiological function in vivo. The technique has been particularly successful with zebrafish embryos; however, the injection equipment can be relatively expensive and therefore available only to well-funded laboratories. In this study, a simple, cheap, easy-to-assemble, and easy-to-use setup with a straightforward, accurate, and efficacious calibration method is introduced. The accuracy of this calibration method was tested by comparing with the results of calibration methods that are currently used in high-cost systems. Injection success with this low-cost system was verified based on the presence of injected dyes in zebrafish embryos, the absence of any significant morphological and behavioral differences between 3,4,-dichloroaniline-treated and untreated embryos, and larval viability.