Methods for delivery of double-stranded RNA into Caenorhabditis elegans

The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is often employed in investigations of diverse aspects of biology, including behavior, development, basic cellular processes, and disease states. The ability to utilize double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) to inhibit specific gene function in this organism has dramatically increased its value for these kinds of studies and has provided more flexibility in experimental design that include procedures. Here, we have collected a set of protocols from the C. elegans community for propagation of C. elegans, techniques for dsRNA preparation, four basic methods for delivery of dsRNA to C. elegans (injection, soaking, feeding, and in vivo delivery), and we suggest schemes that should facilitate detection of specific gene silencing.