The implementation of the project has been supported by the EU and its further supporting organization is the MAG – the Hungarian Economy Development Centre. Grepton Plc. plays the key developer role in the framework of the project.
The background of the project from the side of the development need
Understanding the background of the processes taking place in the human body and knowing the causes of congenital diseases are among the biggest scientific challenges of our days. Vertebrates like humans are relatively close to each other genetically, therefore scientists tend to use different model-animals for these kind of researches. Out of these animals the Zebra Danio is the most frequently used by science. Processes taking place inside the body of the Zebra Danio and the observation of its congenital diseases helps immensely to understand and analyze genetic changes among the human race, of which genome is as much as 95-98% parallel with the genome of the Zebra Danio (mainly due to artificial environmental effects).
The role of Grepton
In the framework of this funded project Grepton have been developing a phenotype-observer system using an analyzer software, backed-up by university R&D-services. This complex software-based analyzer system contains of 3 main parts:
1. Fluorescent stereomicroscope together with a digital camera
2. Handler stand with the testing environment
3. Analyzer software
The importance of the development and the method of functionality
The main novelty content of this project is provided by the development the analyzer software. The basic principle in the functionality of this software is that it compares answer reactions and deformations inside the test animal, formerly placed at an artificially contaminated environment, with the control data. The results are loaded into the system database and then the software measures the changes that took place inside the contaminated test animal and analyzes the extent of these deformations. The software does all this by observing certain areas (e.g. organs, parts of organs, areas marked with GFP) subjected to the control. From the analysis different type of conclusions can be drawn and also a photograph-based documentation can be pieced together. The use of this device can significantly speed up the understanding process of the background of certain genetic diseases. It can also contribute to working out therapies for curing these diseases and, beyond the boundaries of human medicine, it could be put to good use in the chemical industry and also in environmental protection.