Knowledge Base

Well Plates and Petri Dishes

Well Plates (ANSI Standard)

1. Put the back of the well plate against the bridge and place it on the basin floor.
2. Tilt the front of the well plate down to the floor so that the water in the basin pushes the air from underneath the well plate. Make sure the well plate is accommodated correctly between the metal springs at the front and at the right side.

Tip: Drill a few holes on the sides of the well plate to allow air to escape when placing the well plate.

Well Plates (Non-ANSI Standard)

For smaller or larger well plates, place the bridge in a different position. The default position (ANSI standard) corresponds to the second hole on the side walls of the basin, counting from the inner side of the observation chamber.

1. Remove the screws as indicated in the picture.
2. Slide the bridge by one or more positions. Check the video image in EthoVision XT and make sure that the well plate is centered in the camera view.
3. Fix the screws in the corresponding holes.

Petri Dishes

1. Put the Petri dish against the 90° angle of the bridge.
2. If necessary, remove the screws of the bridge and slide the bridge a few positions until the dish is centered in the camera view.

With DanioVision you can use Petri dishes with a diameter of up to 90 mm. It is recommended not to let water flow into the basin when using Petri dishes, as water may flow underneath the bottom of the dish and cause it to shift from its original position during a trial.

Control Evaporation

Wells on the sides of the well plate tend to show a higher rate of evaporation than wells in the center. Wells at the front also have a higher evaporation rate than those at the back.

In long experiments (more than 24 hours), evaporation may occur in both the wells and the basin. The following steps are recommended:

• Wells: Check the wells every 24 hours and refill them if necessary.
• Basin: Refill the basin every 2 to 3 days using the Basin Refill tool.

Environmental conditions (temperature, relative humidity, and air flow) and experimental conditions (lens heater on or off, White Light intensity) influence the rate of evaporation and condensation of water from the basin and well plate. If you plan to carry out long experiments, always test evaporation under your environmental and experimental conditions, and plan refills to ensure that the water level never drops to a critical value.

Source: DanioVision DVOC-0050 Reference Manual - Check the System, Noldus Information Technology