In this bioRxiv manuscript, Gibney et al., (2023) describe a paintbrush based method to improve the speed and survival of microinjections in C. elegans. The authors show a significantly higher injection efficiency when using a paintbrush instead of a pick to transfer worms to and from the agarose pad. The technique is simple as demonstrated in their videos.

Nematodes have been used as model organisms for evolutionary studies. This article highlights the key findings from research on developmental processes, sex determination, dauer formation, vulva development, male tail formation and developmental regulation of gene expression with regards to evolution. An updated phylogenetic tree of the phylum Nematoda is also provided. This article is an excellent read to summarise evolutionary differences within nematodes for the above mentioned processes.

Reference:

Haag, E. S., Fitch, D. H. A., & Delattre, M. (2018). From “the Worm” to “the Worms” and Back Again: The Evolutionary Developmental Biology of Nematodes. Genetics, 210(2), 397 LP – 433. https://doi.org/10.1534/genetics.118.300243

Benjamin Podbilewicz has spent many years understanding the process of cell fusion and contributing immensely to the filed. To know about his life and his passion for science, click on the link below

http://www.ijdb.ehu.es/web/paper.php?doi=10.1387/ijdb.200220jc