A Scalable, High-Throughput Optomotor Response Pipeline for Quantitative Analysis of Vision Using Infinity-Pools

A Scalable, High-Throughput Optomotor Response Pipeline for Quantitative Analysis of Vision Using Infinity-Pools | bioRxiv Skip to main content Home About Submit ALERTS / RSS Search for this keyword Advanced Search New Results A Scalable, High-Throughput Optomotor Response Pipeline for Quantitative Analysis of Vision Using Infinity-Pools View ORCID Profile Risa Suzuki , Damjan Kalšan , View ORCID Profile Norin Bhatti , View ORCID Profile Saul Pierotti , View ORCID Profile Gero Hofmann , View ORCID Profile Ewan Birney , View ORCID Profile Thomas Thumberger , View ORCID Profile Joachim Wittbrodt doi: https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.01.13.699264 Risa Suzuki 1 Centre for Organismal Studies Heidelberg, Heidelberg University , Im Neuenheimer Feld 230, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany 2 Heidelberg Biosciences International Graduate School (HBIGS) , Heidelberg, Germany Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site ORCID record for Risa Suzuki Damjan Kalšan 1 Centre for Organismal Studies Heidelberg, Heidelberg University , Im Neuenheimer Feld 230, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany 4 Computer Vision and Learning Lab, IWR, Heidelberg University, Germany (Current address) Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site Norin Bhatti 1 Centre for Organismal Studies Heidelberg, Heidelberg University , Im Neuenheimer Feld 230, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site ORCID record for Norin Bhatti Saul Pierotti 3 European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute , Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site ORCID record for Saul Pierotti Gero Hofmann 1 Centre for Organismal Studies Heidelberg, Heidelberg University , Im Neuenheimer Feld 230, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site ORCID record for Gero Hofmann Ewan Birney 3 European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute , Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, UK Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site ORCID record for Ewan Birney Thomas Thumberger 1 Centre for Organismal Studies Heidelberg, Heidelberg University , Im Neuenheimer Feld 230, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site ORCID record for Thomas Thumberger Joachim Wittbrodt 1 Centre for Organismal Studies Heidelberg, Heidelberg University , Im Neuenheimer Feld 230, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site ORCID record for Joachim Wittbrodt For correspondence: jochen.wittbrodt{at}cos.uni-heidelberg.de Abstract Full Text Info/History Metrics Supplementary material Preview PDF Abstract The optomotor response (OMR) provides a robust readout assay for evaluating visually guided locomotion and has been widely applied to various animal models. We present a scalable, high-throughput OMR platform with tuneable and moving stripe patterns simultaneously projected to the side of 50 petri dishes. The setup is optimized for hatchling-stage medaka ( Oryzias latipes and Oryzias sakaizumii ) and larval stage zebrafish ( Danio rerio ) and integrates custom software for automated generation of visual stimuli and specimen detection, enabling precise and automated quantification of optomotor behaviour across thousands of individuals. Using this platform, we systematically assess the visual performance of zebrafish and five medaka strains. By varying stripe width, direction, speed, contrast, and colour, we address spatial resolution, contrast, and colour sensitivity. Albino mutant medaka exhibited the highest sensitivity, responding at lower stripe widths and across a broader range of contrasts and chromatic conditions. Interestingly, some Cab and HO5 hatchlings displayed uni-directional response, revealing strain-specific visuomotor differences. Our platform enables reliable detection of OMR behaviour already at hatching and supports robust analysis of visuomotor function. The modular design, automated detection, analysis pipeline, and capacity for large sample numbers make it a powerful tool for comparative vision research, high-throughput genetic screening, and systematic behavioural profiling. Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest. Funder Information Declared European Research Council, https://ror.org/0472cxd90 , ERC-SyG H2020, 810172 Copyright The copyright holder for this preprint is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under a CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license . Back to top Previous Next Posted January 14, 2026. 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