What is the standard crawling locomotion assay?

Transfer 10–20 synchronized day-1 adults to a fresh NGM plate seeded with OP50. Allow 2–3 minutes for settling, then record for 5–10 minutes under a stereomicroscope at 5–15 fps. Measure body bends per minute and crawling speed. For food-off assays, use unseeded plates. Always maintain 20°C.

How do I perform the swimming/thrashing assay?

Transfer individual worms to a drop of M9 buffer on a glass slide or into a liquid well. Allow 30 seconds for the worm to begin swimming, then count body bends per 30-second interval for 2–5 minutes. Each full sinusoidal wave (C-shape to opposite C-shape) counts as one body bend. Swimming speed declines with age, making this a common aging assay.

What optics should I use?

Stereomicroscope (low mag) for population tracking, crawling speed, and chemotaxis assays. Compound scope (high mag) for individual body bend analysis. Dark field for enhanced contrast with transparent worms. DIC/Nomarski for high-resolution body wall muscle visualization and pharyngeal pumping.

Can ConductVision analyze my C. elegans locomotion videos?

Yes. Upload standardized C. elegans locomotion videos to ConductVision (vision.conductscience.com) for AI-powered analysis including body bend quantification, crawling speed, omega turn detection, and population-level behavioral scoring.

ToolsConductScience tool

Filming ProtocolFree in-browser calculator

C. elegans Locomotion Video Checklist.

Generate a printable filming protocol with microscope optics, locomotion types, apparatus, acclimation notes, and standardized file naming for C. elegans crawling, swimming, and behavioral studies or ConductVision upload.

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Validated2026-04-09

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Load example C. elegans locomotion video checklist data to see the full workflow

Session Info

Strain *

Stage

Date

High-magAcclimationFood conditionPI requested

Locomotion Types

Camera / Optics

Apparatus

Filming Protocol (0 clips)

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No locomotion types selected. Select at least crawling.

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File naming: _day1_adult_2026-06-09_[LOCO]_[CAMERA]_[APPARATUS]_trial[N]

Select locomotion types, camera/optics, and apparatus to generate your protocol.

Analyze your C. elegans locomotion videos with ConductVision

Upload your standardized clips for AI-powered locomotion analysis, body bend quantification, and behavioral scoring.

Go to ConductVision

Filming protocol follows established C. elegans locomotion methodologies (WormTracker, Tierpsy, CeleST). Upload completed videos to ConductVision for AI locomotion analysis.

How It Works

Select the developmental stage (L1–L4, young adult, day-1 adult, aged), locomotion types (crawling, swimming, omega turns, chemotaxis, thermotaxis, touch response), microscope optics (stereoscope, compound, dark field, DIC), and apparatus (NGM plates, liquid wells, microfluidic chips, gradient plates, multi-worm tracker). Optionally enable high-magnification imaging, acclimation protocols, and food condition tracking. The tool generates a numbered shot list with C. elegans–specific instructions and duration. Incompatible combinations (e.g. swimming without liquid well) are automatically filtered.

Filming Best Practices

Use synchronized populations — L4 or day-1 adult is standard for most locomotion assays. Seed NGM plates with OP50 24 hours before use. Maintain 20°C for N2 wild-type; adjust for temperature-sensitive mutants. Pick worms gently: rough picking alters locomotion for several minutes. Equilibrate plate temperature before opening to avoid condensation that traps worms. Frame rate: 5–15 fps is sufficient for crawling speed and body bends; 30 fps for detailed omega turn analysis. For swimming/thrashing assays, count body bends per 30-second interval in M9 buffer. Use plates poured 1–3 days prior — old plates crack and dehydrate.

Method

Filming protocol follows established C. elegans locomotion methodologies including WormTracker, Tierpsy Tracker, and CeleST (C. elegans Swimming Test). Camera/optics settings follow published best practices for each assay type. Acclimation protocols include plate preparation, population synchronization, and food condition conventions per standard C. elegans behavioral genetics workflows. All computation runs locally in your browser — no data is uploaded.

Validated

Last validated 2026-04-09. Calculations are designed for planning and documentation support; verify procurement decisions against manufacturer specifications or institutional SOPs.

How to cite

How to Cite

ConductScience Team (2026). C. elegans Locomotion Video Checklist [Web application]. ConductScience. https://conductscience.com/tools/celegans-locomotion-video-checklist

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