Design Presentation

By:

Kyle PetersenUmair IlyasPrateek BhatnagarJon SunderlandJustin Mai

Studying Behaviors of Micro-organisms

Template

1.Intro  a.title  b.introduction

2.Overview   i. Geotaxis  a.list of experiment  b.quick explanation of each one/reason they are important  c.preview of general designs   ii. Magnetotaxis  a.list of experiment  b.quick explanation of each one/reason they are important  c.preview of general designs                 

iii. Biomotors-Diffusion  a.list of experiment  b.quick explanation of each one/reason they are important  c.preview of general designs

3.Details  a.all designs for each experiment with explanation  b.controls and environmental factors of each experiment  c.any particular difficulties in general and for experiments

4.Goals  a.explanation of paper  b.information needed for paper

5.Conclusion  a.how experiments fit together or not  b.importance of research 

c. Many of the experiments seem to be completely isolated form one another and for the sake of our research they are; Once we have established the specific behavioral traits we are looking at then we can do larger and more complex studies in which all of our experiments are utilized.  Behavioral experiments such as ours develops understanding of................Our research on geotaxis will culminate in a paper to summarize our findings, all other experiments.........................."

Introduction• What:

o Behavioral Research on C.elegans• How:

o Designing and executing specific experiments• Why:

o Some features of C.elegans can represent human parallels (magnetite)

o Some behaviors may have useful functions (biomotors)o Using known behaviors can help elicit useful functions

(using electro/magnetotaxis for desired movement)• Goal

o Scientific paper describing our results submitted to be published

Magnetotaxis-Objectives

• Experiments to prove that C.elegans contain  magnetite (Fe3O4)

• Carry out experiments to find out the stage(L3,L4, young adult,adult ) at which that magnetite is produced by C.elegans

• Carry out experiments to know the value of optimum field at which we get the strongest response from C.elegans.

• Experiments to observe whether that magnetite is attracted to magnetic field or not

• Compare different magnetic filed intensities and response of C.elegans using permanant magnets

• Observe the behavior of C.elegans when polarity of the permanant magnets is switched during the experiment

 

Magnetotaxis-Experiments Performed

• Experiment to determine the attraction of C.elegans to North or south pole of a magnet

   • Carried out experiments to identify the best microfluidic

channel for Magnetotaxis experiments   • Experiments which change the polarity of the magnets after

some frames to record the change in movement of C.elegans

Magnetotaxis-Results

• Experimets performed by wormguys have shown that C.elegans are attracted towards the south pole of a magnet

  • The best microfluidic channel for carrying out magnetotaxis

is the t-shaped straight channel  •  Changing the polarity of magnets does have an impact on

the movement of C.elegans as they seem to prefer the south pole over the north pole.

Magnetotaxis-Experiments to be performed• Experiments to determine optimum field

  • Experiments to find the stage at which magnetite is

produced  • Carry out experiments to see the behavior of C.elegans

when they are exposed to a magnetic field produced by North-North and South-South poles of a magnet.

Magnetotaxis-Requirement for a research paper• Establish a control-experiment without magnetic field

 • Carry out experiments with a magnetic field and then

compare it with the control and see whether that they are attracted more towards one pole or not.

 • Carry out pole switching experiments to confirm our

hypothesis • Attach pertinent data,pictures and videos to make the paper

more authentic

Geotaxis - Objectives

Objective - Experiment with C.elegans to prove their response to Geotaxis Carry out experiments to: • Find out the stage(L3,L4, young adult,adult ) which react to

gravity when present. • Know the angle of optimum gravitational force at which we

get the strongest response from C.elegans. • Determine whether the C.elegans  have a negative or

posititve geotaxis.  

  

Geotaxis - Objectives (cont'd)

After the C.elegans' response to geotaxis has been fully determined, we can begin to integrate all of the previous experiments done horizontally on a vertical plane. 

Such integrated tests with Geotaxis will be: • Electrotaxis• Bio-motors• Magnetotaxis• Phototaxis

Geotaxis - Lab Set-upIn order to test the Geotaxis properties of the C.elegans, we need to have specialized equipment to accurately test these worms response to gravity.  Equipment that we have:

o Vertical Facing microscope  

o A vertical glass slide holder, being able to hold a glass slide accurately at 15 degree increments.

o A uniform light source for vertical facing microscope.  

o Microfluidic master-mold channels specifically designed to test Geotaxis

 

Geotaxis - Lab Set-up (cont'd)

Required Equipment:• Software for recording on Vertical facing microscope • Finished Microfluidic polymer channels

Geotaxis-Test Plan

Once we receive all of the required equipment we will begin our experiments.  1.  Start with control experiment, T-channel to test for

positive/negative geotaxis

2.  Change angle of slide and record the change in velocity.

3. Later test with different strains and age groups to see if gravitational force is sensed by entire species.

Bio-Motors  - ObjectiveObjective - Experiment with C.elegans to prove their use as Biomotors

Find various ways that C.elegans can be used as Biomotors Possible uses could be: • Using C.elegans to speed up time of Diffusion of:

 o A drug in a solutiono Different solid objects that need to be mixed

  Apply Electrotaxis to have C.elegans: 

o Transfer objects from a source to a destinationo Rotate micro-turbineo Create flow in a liquid solution

  

 

Bio-Motors  - Objective (cont'd)

• Apply Electrotaxis to have C.elegans: 

o Transfer objects from a source to a destinationo Rotate micro-turbineo Create flow in a liquid solution

 

Conclusion

• What we have done (designed experiments, performed some magneto and planned for more tests)

• What we have left to do (finish testing magnetotaxis, our focus, and then geotaxis)

• When our paper will be written (last two weeks of semester)

• What will be considered success? (getting experiments done and have first draft of paper written by the end of the semester, submitted soon after.)