Automated analysis of C. elegans behavior by LabGym: an open-source, AI-powered platform

The genetic tractability, well-mapped circuitry, and diverse behavioral repertoire of the nematode C. elegans make it an ideal model for physiological and behavioral studies. A wide range of methods has been developed for analyzing C. elegans behaviors, evolving with advances in technology such as videography and computer-assisted analysis. However, unlike organisms with distinct body features such as limbs and wings, the contour of C. elegans is rather uniform, posing unique challenges for automated analyses of C. elegans behavior. Here, we introduce LabGym-an open-source, artificial intelligence (AI)-based platform we recently developed-to the C. elegans research community. We trained deep learning models in LabGym capable of automatically categorizing and quantifying multiple user-defined parameters of worm locomotion behavior in multi-worm videos with high accuracy. Furthermore, we demonstrated their efficacy in quantifying locomotion changes in aging worms. Our work offers a cost-effective, user-accessible, and comprehensive approach to behavioral analysis in C. elegans.