C. elegans microfluidic electrotaxis system

我们正在申请资金来定制一个C。elegans微流体趋电性成像和测量系统（CelMES）。该系统将用于研究线虫C.优雅CelMES将是第一个C.在麦克马斯特线虫研究和至关重要的是我们新的多学科合作研究涉及Bhagwati古普塔（生物学），P.拉维Selvaganapathy（机械工程）和拉姆米什拉（精神病学和神经科学）的实验室。在我们的研究中，对CelMES的需求的核心是我们实验室的一项发现，该发现表明C。秀丽线虫响应微流体通道中的低压DC电场并沿特定方向移动。这种行为（趋电性）是由感觉神经元和肌肉介导的，由通道中突变动物的趋电反应决定。该系统的重要性突出体现在以下事实上：它将在未来三年内支持至少20名学生的工作，其中包括8名研究生和一名博士后学者。它不仅将促进合作，而且还将使学生能够学习使用C中的微流体方法。elegans神经生物学和行为研究，从而提供尖端的培训机会。缺乏CelMES将严重损害我们的研究，因为没有其他C。目前在麦克马斯特的精英专用系统。

We are requesting funds to custom build a C. elegans Microfluidic Electrotaxis imaging and measurement System (CelMES). The system will be used to study the mechanism of neuronal-basis of locomotion and neurodegeneration in the nematode (worm) C. elegans. CelMES will be the first dedicated system for C. elegans research at McMaster and crucial to our new multidisciplinary collaborative research involving the laboratories of Bhagwati Gupta (Biology), P. Ravi Selvaganapathy (Mechanical Engineering) and Ram Mishra (Psychiatry & Neuroscience). Central to the need of CelMES in our research is a discovery from our labs showing that C. elegans responds to a low voltage DC electric field in the microfluidic channel and moves in a specific direction. This behavior (electrotaxis) is mediated by sensory neurons and muscles as determined by the electrotactic response of mutant animals in the channel. The importance of the system is underscored by the fact that it will support the work of at least 20 students including 8 graduate students and a post-doctoral scholar over the next 3 years. It will not only facilitate collaboration but will also enable students to learn to use the microfluidics approach in C. elegans neurobiology and behavior research thereby offering cutting-edge training opportunities. The lack of CelMES will severely compromise our research because there is no other C. elegans-specific system at McMaster at present.