Microfluidic Systems to Study the Biology of Human Diseases and Identify Potential Therapeutic Targets in Caenorhabditis elegans

Abstract

This chapter provides a comprehensive review of high-throughput screening (HTS) and drug discovery-related research in Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans). It provides a brief description of leading animal models with an emphasis on C. elegans. The chapter focuses on a survey of currently available microfluidic and other robotic systems for various worm applications. It explores tools and approaches which needed to facilitate high-throughput microfluidic screens in C. elegans for the study of movement behavior and related disorders. C. elegans is an established model organism to investigate the molecular mechanisms of conserved biological phenomena that occur in all organisms including humans. In addition to its value in addressing basic questions about animal development and behavior, C. elegans has also proven to be an excellent system for studying the biology of human diseases. C. elegans neurodegenerative disease models include three major disorders (AD, HD, and PD), all of which cause age-dependent progressive loss of neurons or neural activity.