Section: Highlights of the Year

Highlights of the Year

3D Numerical Model of a Zebra Fish Larva

The full reconstruction of a 3D larval zebrafish (5 days post fertilization) was realized using a serial-section electron microscopy data set combined with the technique of level-set and optimal transportation for shape interpolation. From an experimental video of zebrafish escape swimming, the kinematics of the swimming is extracted removing both translational and rotating displacements. Based on this video-extracted body deformation, 3D zebrafish snapshots of the body surface were generated deforming the 3D model according to the midline motion. The escape response of the zebrafish larva has been simulated using the NaSCar solver. The numerical simulation of the hydrodynamic zebrafish-locomotion provides a full range of the energetic performance performed by the larva during an escape response that are used by the MRGM biology lab in Bordeaux for toxicology evaluations. See figures 6 and 7.

Figure 6. Snaphshots from left to right: reconstruction from electron microscopy and experimental video provided by MRGM Bordeaux of a zebra fish larva swimming movement.

Figure 7. Numerical simulation of the swimming displacement of a zebra fish larva.