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

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.