Worm EEG: Scientists Develop Device to Measure Brain Activity of Worms
Posted on May 28, 2013
Scientists from the University of Southampton have developed a device which records the brain activity of tiny worms. The device, called NeuroChip, is a microfluidic electrophysiological device which traps the microscopic worm Caenorhadbitis elegans (1mm long) and records the activity of discrete neural circuits in its worm brain. The scientists call it a worm equivalent of the EEG. The scientists say the NeuroChip will help help test the effects of drugs.
Lindy Holden-Dye, Professor of Neuroscience at the University of Southampton and lead author of the paper, says in a statement, "We are particularly interested in using this as a sensitive new tool for screening compounds for neurotoxicity. It will allow us to precisely quantify sub-lethal effects on neural network activity. It can also provide an information rich platform by reporting the effects of compounds on a diverse array of neurotransmitter pathways, which are implicated in mammalian toxicology."
Take a look:
The research was published here in PLoS One.
Photo: University of Southampton