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bioRxiv · 10.1101/2025.03.04.641180

Open EGGbox: an open-source 3D-printed embryonic Gallus gallus toolbox for electroporation and culture/live imaging of avian embryos ex ovo

Antoniou-Kourantonio, M.·Ramirez de Acuna, F.·Schettler, R. C. C.·Udar, S. K.·Hamzic Petite, A.·Sivasubramanian, R. V.·Munsterberg, A. E.·Grocott, T.
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Abstract

We present an open source, 3D-printed toolbox for avian embryology. The toolbox includes an electroporation chamber for transfecting functional molecular reagents into developing embryos, and a set of live-imaging chambers, which support avian embryo development while presenting them to a wide variety of microscope setups. We demonstrate both electroporation and imaging chambers by transfecting novel fluorescent reporter constructs for the TGF-beta signalling pathway and Pax7, Brachyury, Cdx2 and Sox2:Oct4 transcription factors into chick embryos and performing time-lapse imaging from stages HH3 - HH12 via both widefield and confocal fluorescence microscopy. Open-source code and ready-to-print STL files are freely available from a GitHub repository in line with FAIR (findability, accessibility, interoperability, and reusability) principles.

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Antoniou-Kourantonio, M., Ramirez de Acuna, F., Schettler, R. C. C., Udar, S. K., Hamzic Petite, A., Sivasubramanian, R. V., Munsterberg, A. E., Grocott, T.. 2025-03-04. Open EGGbox: an open-source 3D-printed embryonic Gallus gallus toolbox for electroporation and culture/live imaging of avian embryos ex ovo. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.03.04.641180

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