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

摘要

Locomotion and gross morphology have been important phenotypes for C. elegansgenetics since the inception of the field and remain relevant. In parallel withdevelopments in genome sequencing and editing, phenotyping methods have becomemore automated and quantitative, making it possible to detect subtledifferences between mutants and wild-type animals. In this chapter, we describehow to calibrate a single worm tracker consisting of a USB microscope mountedon a motorized stage and how to record and analyze movies of worms crawling onfood. The resulting quantitative phenotypic fingerprint can sensitivelyidentify differences between mutant and wild type worms.