Handling and Preparation of Caenorhabditis elegans for Live Imaging

To begin, take out the nematode growth medium plates with Caenorhabditis elegans grown on a lawn of bacteria. Using a platinum wire pick, transfer worms to a droplet of 0.5 millimolar levamisole and incubate them for 20 minutes. Pipette 12 microliter M9 medium to a 10%agarose patch on a glass slide.

Using a hair pick, mount 10 to 20 nematodes from the levamisole droplet into the M9 droplet on the agarose patch. Place a cover slip on top of the droplet and rotate it by 45 degrees to image transport in the DA9 axon. Afterward, seal the space between the cover slip and the glass slide with a viscous gel-like petrolatum.