Our manuscript entitled “3-dimensional arenas for the assessment of C. elegans behavior”, by Cardoza S., Tse L.Y.L., Barton K., and Gourgou E., is accepted for publication in the International Journal of Bioprinting. In this work we present the first iteration of our novel 3D-printer, the Parnon, which can extrude Nematode Growth Medium (NGM), the agar-based hydrogel on which C. elegans are broadly cultured in lab conditions, and we showcase the use of these 3D-printed arenas for the investigation of C. elegans 3D behavior.
We are currently working on the second iteration, the Menalon printer. Our ultimate goal is to untangle the neuronal basis of 3D behavior.