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Caenorhabditis elegans as an undergraduate educational tool for teaching RNAi

  1. Janet Andersen1,†,‡,*,
  2. Alexander Krichevsky1,†,
  3. Joerg R. Leheste2,
  4. Daniel J. Moloney1

Article first published online: 21 NOV 2008

DOI: 10.1002/bmb.20233

Issue

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education

Volume 36, Issue 6, pages 417–427, November/December 2008

Additional Information

How to Cite

Andersen, J., Krichevsky, A., Leheste, J. R. and Moloney, D. J. (2008), Caenorhabditis elegans as an undergraduate educational tool for teaching RNAi. Biochem. Mol. Biol. Educ., 36: 417–427. doi: 10.1002/bmb.20233

Author Information

  1. 1

    Department of Biochemistry and Cellular Biology, Center for Science and Mathematics Education, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794-5215

  2. 2

    Department of Neuroscience, New York College of Osteopathic Medicine, New York Institute of Technology, Old Westbury, New York 11568-8000

  1. †

    Equal contribution.

  2. ‡

    Tel.: 631-632-1674; Fax: 631-632-9791.

*Department of Biochemistry and Cellular Biology, 094 Life Sciences, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, New York 11794-5215

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 21 NOV 2008
  2. Article first published online: 21 NOV 2008
  3. Manuscript Revised: 29 JUL 2008
  4. Manuscript Received: 8 JUL 2008

Funded by

  • HHMI Grant 52003746 to Dr. R. David Bynum for continued support of BIO 311 "Techniques in Molecular and Cellular Biology" and for the Postdoctoral Teaching Fellowship to JRL.

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Keywords:

  • RNAi;
  • C. elegans;
  • undergraduate education

Abstract

Discovery of RNA-mediated interference (RNAi) is widely recognized as one of the most significant molecular biology breakthroughs in the past 10 years. There is a need for science educators to develop teaching tools and laboratory activities that demonstrate the power of this new technology and help students to better understand the RNAi process. C. elegans is an ideal model organism for the undergraduate laboratory because of the simplicity of worm maintenance, its well-studied genetic background, and the fact that it can be employed as a model organism in laboratory environments where vertebrate research is restricted. Certain unique features of C. elegans make it a very suitable organism for RNAi studies. Specifically, nematode strains highly sensitive to RNAi are readily available from public sources, and RNAi induction by a feeding method is an uncomplicated procedure that lends itself readily as an educational tool. In this article, we provide a detailed depiction of the use of C. elegans as an RNAi educational tool, describing two separate RNAi-based experiments. One is a qualitative experiment where students can examine the effects of knocking down the unc-22 gene involved in the regulation of muscle contraction, which results in a “twitching” phenotype. The other experiment is a quantitative RNAi experiment, where students measure the effect of knocking down the lsy-2 gene involved in neuronal development. Although these experiments are designed for a college-level study, nematode research projects can also be accomplished in secondary school facilities.

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