A quantitative medium-throughput assay to measure Caenorhabditis elegans development and reproduction

Growth and offspring count are two commonly determined toxicological endpoints for chemical- or gene-induced developmental and reproductive effects in Caenorhabditis elegans. Here, we present a protocol for a 96 h, medium-throughput assay, assessing both endpoints quantitatively within an automated framework using open-source software. The assay utilizes whole 96-well fluorescence images taken with a high-content screening system. Alternatively, conventional fluorescence images can also be utilized with only a few adjustments. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Wittkowski et al. (2019).