Electrotaxis Assay: A Method to Observe Locomotion in C. elegans

Abstract

Source: Tong, J, et al. Microfluidic-based Electrotaxis for On-demand Quantitative Analysis of Caenorhabditis elegans' Locomotion. J. Vis. Exp. (2013).

Researchers can trigger on-demand movement in C. elegans by applying an electric field that worms sense and respond to.  This video introduces electrotactic behavior and shows a sample protocol that is done in a microfluidic device.

Protocol

This protocol is an excerpt from Tong et al, Microfluidic-based Electrotaxis for On-demand Quantitative Analysis of Caenorhabditis elegans' Locomotion, J. Vis. Exp. (2013). 1. Electrotaxis Experiment Place the microchannel on the stage (preferably XY-movable) of a microscope with a mounted camera …

Representative Results

Figure 1. Schematic of microfluidic screening platform for nematode electrotaxis assay.