Use of C. elegans Diapause to Study Transgenerational Responses to Pathogen Infection

We present a protocol for the study of inter and transgenerational behavioral responses to pathogenesis in C. elegans. Transgenerational and intergenerational effects of microbes are best studied in model organisms with short life cycles, large progenies, and quantifiable cellular and behavioral outcomes. This chapter encompasses basic techniques used to study the consequences of bacterial infection in C. elegans, including worm growth, quantification of dauer larvae, and quantification of bacterial population dynamics within individual animals. Specific methods for studying transgenerational effects and their duration are also described.