Biomechanical characteristics of the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans' locomotive behavior in varying environments

The soil nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has traditionally been used as a model organism for scientific investigations due to its comprehensively sequenced genome, as well as the ease with which they may be cultured in the laboratory. This has allowed for widespread usage of C. elegans in research, ranging from in vitro neurotoxicity assays to investigations of bidirectional interkingdom chemical signaling between prokaryotic bacteria and the eukaryotic nematode. It is therefore of interest to further understand the characteristics and behavior of the C. elegans worm in order to better interpret results of future research; one aspect of C. elegans which stands to be further elucidated is the locomotive behavior and physical parameters which promote efficient propulsion in varying environments. We hypothesize that a source of friction perpendicular to the body axis of the worm is required for forward or backward propulsion. To study the biomechanics of C. elegans locomotion, we utilized a variety of environments including flat agar substrates, agar pillars to provide physical obstacles, and water droplets within a microfluidic device. The efficacy of propulsion was determined through computer generated models. We show that a significant transverse force is required to propel the worm forward and provide efficient locomotion.