San-Miguel Adriana, Lu Hang
School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta GA, 30332, USA.
WormBook. 2013 Sep 24:1-19. doi: 10.1895/wormbook.1.162.1.
Microfluidics has emerged as a set of powerful tools that have greatly advanced some areas of biological research, including research using C. elegans. The use of microfluidics has enabled many experiments that are otherwise impossible with conventional methods. Today there are many examples that demonstrate the main advantages of using microfluidics for C. elegans research, achieving precise environmental conditions and facilitating worm handling. Examples range from behavioral analysis under precise chemical or odor stimulation, locomotion studies in well-defined structural surroundings, and even long-term culture on chip. Moreover, microfluidics has enabled coupling worm handling and imaging thus facilitating genetic screens, optogenetic studies, and laser ablation experiments. In this article, we review some of the applications of microfluidics for C. elegans research and provide guides for the design, fabrication, and use of microfluidic devices for C. elegans research studies.
微流控技术已成为一套强大的工具，极大地推动了生物学研究的某些领域，包括使用秀丽隐杆线虫的研究。微流控技术的应用使得许多用传统方法无法进行的实验成为可能。如今，有许多例子展示了在秀丽隐杆线虫研究中使用微流控技术的主要优势，即实现精确的环境条件并便于线虫操作。这些例子包括在精确的化学或气味刺激下进行行为分析、在明确界定的结构环境中进行运动研究，甚至在芯片上进行长期培养。此外，微流控技术还实现了线虫操作与成像的结合，从而便于进行遗传筛选、光遗传学研究和激光消融实验。在本文中，我们回顾了微流控技术在秀丽隐杆线虫研究中的一些应用，并为秀丽隐杆线虫研究的微流控装置的设计、制造和使用提供指导。
