title: A scalable method for automatically measuring pharyngeal pumping in C. elegans.
abstract: The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is widely used for studying small neural circuits underlying behavior. In particular, the rhythmic feeding motions collectively termed pharyngeal pumping are regulated by a nearly autonomous network of 20 neurons of 14 types. Despite much progress achieved through laser ablation, genetics, electrophysiology, and optogenetics, key questions regarding the regulation of pumping remain open.
  
  
  
  We describe the implementation and application of a scalable automated method for measuring pumping in controlled environments. Our implementation is affordable and flexible: key hardware and software elements can be modified to accommodate different requirements.
  
  
  
  We demonstrate prolonged measurements under controlled conditions and the resulting high quality data. We show the scalability of our method, enabling high throughput, and its suitability for maintaining static and dynamic conditions. When food availability was oscillated, pumping rates were low as compared to steady conditions and pumping activity was not reliably modulated in response to changes in food concentration.
  
  
  
  The prevailing method for measuring rates of pumping relies on scoring by visual inspection of short recordings. Our automated method compares well with manual scoring. It enables detailed statistical characterization under experimental conditions not previously accessible and minimizes unintentional bias.
  
  
  
  Our approach adds a powerful tool for studying pharyngeal pumping. It enhances the experimental versatility of assaying genetic and pharmacological manipulations and the ability to characterize the resulting behavior. Both the experimental setup and the analysis can be readily adapted to additional challenging motion detection problems.
authors.affiliation: James Franck Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA; Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Scholz
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA.
authors.forename: Dylan J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Lynch
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Center for Systems Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
authors.forename: Kyung Suk
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Center for Systems Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
authors.forename: Erel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Levine
authors.affiliation: James Franck Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA; Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA; Department of Physics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA. Electronic address: dbiron@uchicago.edu.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Biron
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000502:physiology*; D001330:Electronic Data Processing / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D019277:Entropy; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D056656:Lab-On-A-Chip Devices; D053685:Laser Therapy; D010528:Peristalsis; D010609:Pharyngeal Muscles / Q000294:innervation / Q000502:physiology*; D010614:Pharynx / Q000502:physiology*