Dec 08, 2021
Picking worms
- 1Imperial College London
- Behavioural Genomics
Protocol Citation: Bonnie Evans 2021. Picking worms. protocols.io https://dx.doi.org/10.17504/protocols.io.b2p5qdq6
License: This is an open access protocol distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited
Protocol status: Working
We use this protocol and it’s working
Created: December 08, 2021
Last Modified: December 08, 2021
Protocol Integer ID: 55773
Abstract
Transferring worms using a platinum wire pick
Light the ethanol burner. Take care that there is nothing directly above it, eg. papers attached to shelf.
Place the platinum wire part of the pick in the flame to sterilise it. Let it cool before touching the plate.
Pick up some bacteria from the plate with the platinum wire.
Look down the microscope to identify the worm you want to pick (e.g for L4 worms, look for a white semi-circle in the worm mid-section). Gently touch the worm with the bacteria to pick it up.
Transfer the worm to the new plate by gently placing the pick on the agar and allowing it to crawl out of the bacteria on the wire. Be careful not to penetrate the agar.