WormBot, an open-source robotics platform for survival and behavior analysis in C. elegans.

Journal: GeroScience
Published Date: Nov 14, 2019

Abstract

Caenorhabditis elegans is a popular organism for aging research owing to its highly conserved molecular pathways, short lifespan, small size, and extensive genetic and reverse genetic resources. Here we describe the WormBot, an open-source robotic image capture platform capable of conducting 144 parallel C. elegans survival and behavioral phenotyping experiments. The WormBot uses standard 12-well tissue culture plates suitable for solid agar media and is built from commercially available robotics hardware. The WormBot is controlled by a web-based interface allowing control and monitoring of experiments from any internet connected device. The standard WormBot hardware features the ability to take both time-lapse bright field images and real-time video micrographs, allowing investigators to measure lifespan, as well as heathspan metrics as worms age. The open-source nature of the hardware and software will allow for users to extend the platform and implement new software and hardware features. This extensibility, coupled with the low cost and simplicity of the system, allows the automation of C. elegans survival analysis even in small laboratory settings with modest budgets.

Authors

  • Jason N Pitt
    Department of Pathology, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific St, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA.
  • Nolan L Strait
    Department of Pathology, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific St, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA.
  • Elena M Vayndorf
    Department of Pathology, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific St, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA.
  • Benjamin W Blue
    Department of Pathology, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific St, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA.
  • Christina H Tran
    Department of Pathology, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific St, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA.
  • Brendon E M Davis
    Department of Pathology, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific St, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA.
  • Karen Huang
    Harvard Business School, Harvard University.
  • Brock J Johnson
    Department of Pathology, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific St, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA.
  • Keong Mu Lim
    Department of Pathology, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific St, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA.
  • Sophie Liu
    Department of Pathology, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific St, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA.
  • Arash Nikjoo
    Department of Pathology, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific St, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA.
  • Anuj Vaid
    Department of Pathology, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific St, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA.
  • Judy Z Wu
    Department of Pathology, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific St, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA.
  • Matt Kaeberlein
    Department of Pathology, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific St, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA. kaeber@uw.edu.

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