Caenorhabditis elegans News and Research

RSS

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

New automated measurement system to assess healthy lifespans using nematodes

A research group from Kumamoto University (Japan) has developed an automated measurement system to assess healthy lifespans using nematodes (C. elegans).

27 Jan 2021

Novel coloring technique helps identify each neuron in the worm's nervous system

The human brain contains approximately 86 billion neurons, or nerve cells, woven together by an estimated 100 trillion connections, or synapses. Each cell has a role that helps us to move muscles, process our environment, form memories, and much more.

8 Jan 2021

Novel computational tool can systematically analyze cell images in C. elegans

A joint research team co-led by City University of Hong Kong (CityU) has developed a novel computational tool that can reconstruct and visualise three-dimensional (3D) shapes and temporal changes of cells, speeding up the analysing process from hundreds of hours by hand to a few hours by the computer.

23 Dec 2020

Researchers discover protein that adjusts gene activity to match nutrient levels in roundworms

Transforming a fertilized egg into a fully functional adult is a complicated task. Cells must divide, move, and mature at specific times. Developmental genes control that process, turning on and off in a choreographed way.

23 Dec 2020

Research shows how colanic acid extends lifespan in C. elegans

Baylor College of Medicine researcher Meng Wang had already shown that bacteria that make a metabolite called colanic acid (CA) could extend the lifespan of worms in her lab by as much as 50%, but her collaboration with Rice University synthetic biologist Jeffrey Tabor is providing tools to answer the bigger question of how the metabolite imparts longer life.

22 Dec 2020

Anti-hypertension drug may be key to extending lifespan, shows study

A stress response of mitochondria, the part of our cells that produce energy to power bodily functions, is important to a longer life.

18 Dec 2020

Researchers discover molecular mechanism of long-term memory

Researchers at the University of Basel have discovered a molecular mechanism that plays a central role in intact long-term memory. This mechanism is also involved in physiological memory loss in old age.

30 Nov 2020

Oregon biologists reveal molecular mechanisms that produce DNA damage in sperm

University of Oregon biologists have used the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans to identify molecular mechanisms that produce DNA damage in sperm and contribute to male infertility following exposure to heat.

23 Oct 2020

Modification of DNA structure plays key role in the recovery phase after DNA damage

A research team from Cologne has discovered that a change in the DNA structure - more precisely in the chromatin - plays a decisive role in the recovery phase after DNA damage.

14 Oct 2020

Excess genetic exchanges impede the segregation of chromosomes into eggs

The exchange of DNA between chromosomes during the early formation of sperm and egg cells normally is limited to assure fertility.

8 Oct 2020

Study offers new possibilities for developing anti-aging drugs

KAIST researchers have been able to dial up and down creatures' lifespans by altering the activity of proteins found in roundworm cells that tell them to convert sugar into energy when their cellular energy is running low.

31 Jul 2020

Fatty acid can kill human cancer cells, study shows

Researchers have demonstrated that a fatty acid called dihomogamma-linolenic acid, or DGLA, can kill human cancer cells.

11 Jul 2020

Study uncovers algorithms and neural circuit mechanisms of escape responses

Ordered and variable animal behaviours emerge to explore and adapt to the environment. They are generally considered as the combination of a series of stereotyped motor primitives. However, how the nervous system shapes the dynamics of motor sequences remains to be solved.

29 Jun 2020

Scientists discover unexpected role of heat shock proteins during neuronal differentiation

A research team led by Dr Chaogu Zheng from the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Hong Kong, in collaboration with a team led by Professor Martin Chalfie (2008 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry) from the Department of Biological Sciences at Columbia University, recently discovered an unexpected role of the heat shock proteins, also known as the molecular chaperones, during neuronal differentiation, which refers to the process a neuron takes to acquire its shape and function.

16 Jun 2020

New studies provide insights into DNA crossovers in egg and sperm cells

In the famous words of movie character Forrest Gump, "Life is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you're gonna get."

4 Jun 2020

Harmful effects of BPA can be reversed by administering coenzyme Q10

Exposure to bisphenol A (BPA), an industrial chemical used to make certain plastics and resins, inner coatings for food cans and bottle tops, thermal paper used in store receipts, dental sealants and so on, is a concern because of possible adverse health effects, including a reduction in fertility.

7 May 2020

Study finds how metabolism regulates sleep in worms

Can staying up late make you fat? A growing body of research has suggested that poor sleep quality is linked to an increased risk of obesity by deregulating appetite, which in turn leads to more calorie consumption.

21 Apr 2020

Researchers reveal nerve circuitry regulating worms' response to changing temperatures

Nagoya University researchers and colleagues have revealed the nerve circuitry regulating the response of a tiny soil worm to changing temperatures.

13 Mar 2020

Researchers discover glial cells that control stress response, extend lifespan in worms

While many of us worry about proteins aggregating in our brains as we age and potentially causing Alzheimer's disease or other types of neurodegeneration, we may not realize that some of the same proteins are aggregating in our muscles, setting us up for muscle atrophy in old age.

23 Feb 2020

New C. elegans model will accelerate study of a rare disease

The model will permit to accelerate and reduce the price of the research, which is studying the mechanisms and the possible pharmacological targets for the neuronal alterations of this disease.

20 Feb 2020