Quantitative understanding for neural plasticity of C. elegans with newly developed micro-fluidic device

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Caenorhabditis elegans is known as one of model animals, and it has been used for understanding the relationship between neural functions and behaviors. The worm senses odors and shows taxis toward the source of favorite odor by detecting its concentration gradient. However, little is known how exactly worms can discriminate the concentration of odor and change their head turning behavior in regard to the response of olfactory neurons. For demonstrating the role of single neurons in specific behaviors, we investigated the neural activity from a single neuron by Ca and membrane potential imaging, and also quantitative behaviors by developing new types of micro-fluidic devices. We succeeded to visualize the Ca oscillation synchronized with the head movement during odor stimulation in AIY interneuron.