Worm Watch Lab Talk

Worm Tracker

  • geckzilla by geckzilla

    Have any of you checked out the link on how to build your own worm tracking machine? http://www.mrc-lmb.cam.ac.uk/wormtracker/

    I added up the prices on the parts from 2009 and it costs about 3200 GBP. That's about $4800 USD. The nematodes would be happy to know that they have a comfortable monetary barrier to prevent a lot of people coming along and molesting them for worm tracking if they had the capacity for such feelings. 😉

    Posted

  • aexbrown by aexbrown scientist

    A lot of the cost comes from the motorised stage we use to follow the worms automatically. If you just want to see them, you could use the USB microscope on its own. You could use a light bulb for transmitted light (if you do, you'll probably find better results if you hold the light quite far away from the sample).

    Of course, then you'll need some worms to look at! Here's a Worm Book chapter that describes some ways to do it:
    http://www.wormbook.org/chapters/www_nematodeisolation/nematodeisolation.html

    If you don't have any agar to make plates you could probably get away with un-flavoured jello but I haven't tried that.

    Posted

  • geckzilla by geckzilla

    The USB microscope is pretty nifty. I've been considering getting a microscope for some time for simple enjoyment but I end up muddled by all the choices and reviews and lack of hands on experience.

    Posted