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Microfluidic systems for high-throughput and high-content screening using the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans
Matteo Cornaglia1, Thomas Lehnert, Martin A M Gijs
1Laboratory of Microsystems, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, CH-1015, Switzerland. martin.gijs@epfl.ch.
Lab on a Chip
|August 26, 2017
Summary
Microfluidic devices enhance high-throughput screening (HTS) and high-content screening (HCS) using Caenorhabditis elegans. These systems offer precise control and detailed analysis for drug discovery and disease modeling.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Pharmacology
- Genomics
Background:
- High-throughput drug screening (HTS) and high-content screening (HCS) are crucial for identifying potential drug candidates.
- Caenorhabditis elegans offers a whole-organism model for drug testing, providing multi-tissue physiological data and observable phenotypes.
- Microfluidic devices have emerged as advanced platforms for C. elegans assays, surpassing traditional microwell plates in versatility and resolution.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review microfluidic devices for C. elegans analysis and screening applications published between 2012 and 2017.
- To highlight the capabilities of microfluidic systems in drug discovery and disease modeling using C. elegans.
- To identify trends and potential for microfluidic systems in large-scale HTS/HCS contexts.
Main Methods:
- Focus on microfluidic systems designed for screening applications, including enabling technologies like electrophysiological recordings and laser axotomy.
- Discuss techniques for worm immobilization, high-resolution imaging, and automated experimentation and analysis.
- Review applications in medium- and high-throughput screens for neurobiology, aging, development, toxicity, pathogenesis, behavior, and motility.
Main Results:
- Microfluidic devices enable versatile and accurate C. elegans assays with precise dosing and single-animal resolution.
- Implemented technologies include on-chip electrophysiology, laser axotomy, reversible immobilization, and automated analysis algorithms.
- Devices facilitate developmental, behavioral, and sorting assays, with applications in neurodegeneration, aging, and toxicity studies.
Conclusions:
- Microfluidic systems are increasingly capable of high-quality, large-scale C. elegans population analysis.
- These systems support multi-phenotypic and longitudinal readouts, crucial for advanced drug screening.
- The trend indicates significant potential for microfluidic devices in future HTS/HCS applications for drug discovery and biological research.
