SFA Tech Tip – Tests with C elegans strains

Posted On: Thursday, September 25, 2014

We recently had the opportunity to test the Model SFA Stereo Microscope Fluorescence Adapter system with several strains of C elegans expressing GFP and/or mCherry. Dr. Michele Lemons (Assumption College) wanted to see if the SFA would work with these varieties, which she planned to use for research and education. She arranged to run the tests in the laboratory of Dr. Michael Francis at U Mass Medical School in Worcester, with a stereo microscope provided by Maureen Donahue of MD Micro Solutions.

The worm strains were:

ufis136;ufis126
Plgc-11::mCherry (red pharynx)
Punc-122::GFP (green coloemocytes)

ufis126; ufis34;acr-12
Plgc-11::mCherry (red pharynx)
Punc-47::mCherry (red GABAergic neurons)

The microscope was set up in a darkened room and we could easily see all of the fluorescence, at magnifications up to 64x (as high as that unit would go). We then put the Eclipse MicroTent™ over the microscope and turned the room lights on and could still see the fluorescence just fine.