Mapping sensory diversity using microfluidic-driven high-throughput neural imaging in C. elegans

Perceptional variability among individuals and relatives is not well-understood and difficult to study at the molecular level in humans. The nematode C. elegans is an ideal model organism to study variability at the subcellular level due to its genetic tractability, short 3 to 5 day lifespan, and methods available to measure neural activity. In this study, we used a microfluidic device to automatically deliver a uniform pulse of butyl acetate (10 μM) to multiple young adult C. elegans for hours, and measured their AWA chemosensory neuron response via high-throughput calcium imaging. We observed that their responses varied in strength (strong or weak) and timing (adapting, periodic, or sporadic). Cloned progeny of strong and weak responding animals also exhibited a variety of responses. This result suggests that responses are actively regulated between neurons. We are currently testing mutants effecting circuit level communication, intracellular signaling, and epigenetic pathways. Taken together, we can begin to answer questions regarding variability among individuals and their relatives in an elegant model system.