Tracking single C. elegans using a USB microscope on a motorized stage

TL;DR

This paper presents a method for tracking and analyzing the locomotion of C. elegans using a USB microscope on a motorized stage, enabling automated phenotyping to distinguish mutants from wild type.

Contribution

It introduces a calibrated single worm tracker setup that automates recording and analysis of worm movement for detailed phenotypic comparison.

Findings

Quantitative phenotypic fingerprints differentiate mutants from wild type.

The method enables sensitive detection of subtle phenotypic differences.

Automated tracking improves reproducibility and efficiency in C. elegans phenotyping.

Abstract

Locomotion and gross morphology have been important phenotypes for C. elegans genetics since the inception of the field and remain relevant. In parallel with developments in genome sequencing and editing, phenotyping methods have become more automated and quantitative, making it possible to detect subtle differences between mutants and wild-type animals. In this chapter, we describe how to calibrate a single worm tracker consisting of a USB microscope mounted on a motorized stage and how to record and analyze movies of worms crawling on food. The resulting quantitative phenotypic fingerprint can sensitively identify differences between mutant and wild type worms.