Max Robotics — Global Service Robot Directory + US Certification

About

Dr. Wietske van der Ent is a pioneer in the automation of zebrafish-based biomedical research, specializing in high-throughput microinjection technologies for disease modeling and drug screening. Her seminal 2013 work on robotic injection of zebrafish embryos, cited nearly 100 times, established foundational protocols that transformed zebrafish larvae into versatile, transparent models for human diseases. This breakthrough enabled scalable, precise manipulation of embryos, accelerating research in genetic toolboxes and disease mechanisms. More recently, Dr. van der Ent has focused on automated microinjection for zebrafish xenograft models, a cutting-edge approach that predicts patient responses to cancer therapeutics. Her 2024 and 2025 studies address the critical bottleneck of manually injecting cancer cells into fragile larvae, offering a reproducible, high-throughput solution with potential as a clinical diagnostic tool. By automating these complex procedures, she has significantly enhanced the reliability and scalability of personalized cancer therapy testing. Dr. van der Ent’s work bridges engineering and biomedicine, making her a key figure in advancing zebrafish models from laboratory tools to clinical applications. Her contributions continue to shape the future of precision oncology and high-content screening.