Large-scale cultivation of Caenorhabditis elegans in a bioreactor using a labor-friendly fed-batch approach

Abstract

Caenorhabditis elegans is an invertebrate model organism used in many areas of biology including developmental biology and the identification of molecular mechanisms and pathways. However, several experimental approaches require large quantities of worms, which is limiting and time-consuming. We present a protocol that uses modern fermentation methodology to effectively produce large numbers of C. elegans using a 7-l bioreactor in a fed-batch cultivation procedure. The production is modular and flexible as well as being a self-controlled system, thus not much labor is required until harvesting C. elegans. The high-yield worm cultivation is flexible and simple to amend, and now allows for the extended application of C. elegans as a model organism and expression system, including large-scale protein production.