title: Femtosecond laser nanoaxotomy lab-on-a-chip for in vivo nerve regeneration studies.
abstract: A thorough understanding of nerve regeneration in Caenorhabditis elegans requires performing femtosecond laser nanoaxotomy while minimally affecting the worm. We present a microfluidic device that fulfills such criteria and can easily be automated to enable high-throughput genetic and pharmacological screenings. Using the 'nanoaxotomy' chip, we discovered that axonal regeneration occurs much faster than previously described, and notably, the distal fragment of the severed axon regrows in the absence of anesthetics.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, 204 E. Dean Keeton Street, Austin, Texas 78712, USA.
authors.forename: Samuel X
authors.initials: SX
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Frederic
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bourgeois
authors.forename: Trushal
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Chokshi
authors.forename: Nicholas J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Durr
authors.forename: Massimo A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Hilliard
authors.forename: Nikos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Chronis
authors.forename: Adela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ben-Yakar
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000473:pathology*; D019771:Axotomy / Q000379:methods*; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D004867:Equipment Design; D046210:Microfluidic Analytical Techniques; D044085:Microfluidics; D008954:Models, Biological; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000379:methods*; D009416:Nerve Regeneration; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins