Electric egg-laying: a new approach for regulatingC. elegansegg-laying behaviour in a microchannel using electric field

Abstract

C. elegans egg laying behavior and the associated cellular functions can be stimulated on-demand using electrical pulses in a microchannel.

The egg-counter: a novel microfluidic platform for characterization of Caenorhabditis elegans egg-laying

“…The fine temporal resolution enables analyses of temporally patterned data that is currently only available through low-throughput systems. Additionally, while our proof-of-principle experiments did not vary the environment within experimental runs, the flow through system and temperature control rig can provide reproducible environmental perturbations like cycling food or temperature regimes, opening avenues of research not previously available (see [65][66][67] for examples of in-chip environmental perturbations). As such, the Egg-Counter provides several significant benefits over traditional solid-media assays.…”

The Egg-Counter: A novel microfluidic platform for characterization ofCaenorhabditis elegansegg-laying

“…Unlike our device and the reproductive aging chip 68 , the animals are confined for the duration of the experiment, and the important regulatory connection between animal motility and egg laying is disrupted 65,69 . A third microfluidic device has been developed to follow egg laying induced by electrical fields 67,70 . While electrically induced egg-laying represents a novel assay, and has many potential uses in shorter duration experiments, the device also uses a restrictive small animal holding chamber that would greatly restrict normal sinusoidal movement.…”

Advances in Microfluidics: Technical Innovations and Applications in Diagnostics and Therapeutics

“…Youssef et al established another manipulation technique of C. elegans where gravid animals lay eggs upon electrical stimulation. Such a system may benefit egg laying-based screens …”

“…Such a system may benefit egg laying-based screens. 162 The rhizosphere is a challenging ecosystem to study from a systems biology perspective due to its diverse chemical, physical, and biological characteristics. In the past decade, plant-on-chip systems have allowed for improved control of the microenvironment but sometimes at the expense of lack of complexity and the inability to mimic a natural environment.…”