Caenorhabditis elegans News and Research

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Caenorhabditis elegans is a free-living, transparent nematode (roundworm), about 1 mm in length, which lives in temperate soil environments.

Researchers uncover potential role of gut bacteria in neurodegeneration

Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD) and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) are all characterized by clumped, misfolded proteins and inflammation in the brain. In more than 90 percent of cases, physicians and scientists do not know what causes these processes to occur.

6 Oct 2016

Study shows how common intestinal microbe protects the gut from attack by harmful bacteria

Antibiotics save millions of lives. But their tendency to kill helpful and harmful bacteria alike, coupled with the growing problem of antibiotic resistance, means that they are not without their downside.

4 Oct 2016

Scientists discover new switch that coordinates DNA repair and cell death

The genetic information of every cell is encoded in the sequence of the DNA double helix. Double strand breaks in the DNA, which can be induced by radiation, are a dangerous threat to the cells, and if not properly repaired can lead to cancer.

28 Sep 2016

Scientists develop photosensitive mimics of class of signaling molecules

Teams at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet in Munich and EMBL have created photosensitive mimics of a class of signaling molecules, thus enabling their actions to be regulated by light, and affording new insights into the communications networks that control cellular metabolism.

29 Jul 2016

Selfish mutant mtDNA exploits cellular defenses to cause many diseases

Mitochondrial disorders are a chameleon-like set of diseases that take many different forms and vary widely from individual to individual.

12 Jul 2016

Glial cells can modulate specific nerve endings in the brain, find Rockefeller scientists

More than half of our brains are made up of glial cells, which wrap around nerve fibers and insulate them--similarly to how the plastic casing of an electric cable insulates the copper wire within--allowing electrical and chemical impulses to travel faster.

12 Apr 2016

Rockefeller scientists study molecular mechanism that causes linker cell death in worms

Some cells are meant to live, and some are meant to die. The linker cell of Caenorhabditis elegans, a tiny worm that is a favored model organism for biologists, is among those destined for termination.

11 Apr 2016

Researchers link AFD activity to sensory responses and behavior

When the surrounding environment makes us uncomfortable, we are inclined to move to a more agreeable one. Studies have shown that animals do the same. They organize sequences of movements to migrate to preferred environments. Understanding how environmental information is converted to sensory information in the brain is vital for a deeper understanding of animal behavior and human perception.

23 Mar 2016

Mothers give offspring a head start in life

Thank your mothers: A research collaboration between UC Santa Barbara and L'École Normale Supérieure in Paris has proven that deterministic maternal effects can give offspring a better start on life.

17 Mar 2016

3-D recordings of nematode brains may help understand how neurons coordinate action and perception

Princeton University researchers have captured among the first recordings of neural activity in nearly the entire brain of a free-moving animal. The three-dimensional recordings could provide scientists with a better understanding of how neurons coordinate action and perception in animals.

31 Dec 2015

Genes vital for age-related cognitive declines in memory identified in adult worm neurons

Researchers from Princeton University have identified genes important for age-related cognitive declines in memory in adult worm neurons, which had not been studied previously. The research, published in the journal Nature, could eventually point the way toward therapies to extend life and enhance health in aging human populations.

15 Dec 2015

Slower aging reduces degeneration related to Parkinson's disease

Humans have long sought to reduce the effects of aging. Now, there may be another reason to continue searching for ways to slow the clock--preventing Parkinson's disease.

25 Nov 2015

Recipients of GSA poster awards announced at 20th International C. elegans Meeting

The Genetics Society of America and the C. elegans research community are pleased to announce the recipients of the GSA poster awards at the 20th International C. elegans Meeting, which took place at the University of California, Los Angeles, June 24-28, 2015.

28 Jul 2015

Discovery provides clue to long-held mystery about how animals' internal compasses function

A team of scientists and engineers at The University of Texas at Austin has identified the first sensor of the Earth's magnetic field in an animal, finding in the brain of a tiny worm a big clue to a long-held mystery about how animals' internal compasses work.

18 Jun 2015

Space Aging study may help identify novel genes linked to longevity

The plot of many a science fiction TV series or movie revolves around the premise that people traveling long distances in space age more slowly than their counterparts on Earth. Now, tiny worms who spent time aboard the International Space Station could help humans understand more about the effects of aging in space for real.

1 Jun 2015

Novel findings may hold promise for children, adults with mitochondrial disorders

Rooted in malfunctions in the tiny power plants that energize our cells, mitochondrial disorders are notoriously complex and variable, with few effective treatments. Now, novel findings in microscopic worms may hold great promise for children and adults with mitochondrial disorders

16 Apr 2015

Study reveals how cell's protein quality control mechanism helps combat neurodegenerative diseases

A molecular pathway known to suppress tumors appears to also be a major player in clearing cells of damaged proteins implicated in neurodegenerative diseases such as ALS and certain types of dementia, new research in roundworms and human cells suggests.

6 Apr 2015

Biological clue could help explain why some drinkers can't resist alcohol

Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine researchers have discovered a biological clue that could help explain why some drinkers develop a dependence on alcohol and others do not.

25 Mar 2015

Study offers new neurological explanation for variability in roundworm's brain activity

Even worms have free will. If offered a delicious smell, for example, a roundworm will usually stop its wandering to investigate the source, but sometimes it won't. Just as with humans, the same stimulus does not always provoke the same response, even from the same individual. New research at Rockefeller University, published online today (March 12) in Cell, offers a new neurological explanation for this variability, derived by studying a simple three-cell network within the roundworm brain.

18 Mar 2015

Andor Zyla sCMOS Camera enables instantaneous imaging of neuronal activity across whole organism for the first time

The speed, resolution and sensitivity of the Andor Zyla sCMOS camera has allowed the Vaziri research group in Vienna, Austria, to simultaneously image neuronal activity across an entire organism for the first time.

10 Feb 2015