Microfluidic Devices to Study the Effect of Electric Fields on C. Elegans and Danio Rerio

Electrotaxis or galvanotaxis is the movement of unicellular and multicellular organisms toward a desired direction under exposure to direct or alternating current electric fields. The mechanisms underpinning how electrical stimulus evokes taxis response are not fully understood in animal models due to their complexities. Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) and Danio rerio (D. rerio) have been used as model organisms to understand basic biological processes in electrotaxis due to their simple sensory and motor systems. However, their small size and continuous movement have limited the development of effective experimental techniques to study electrotaxis. Thus, microfluidics has been adopted to study the electrosensation of C. elegans and D. rerio and to develop various electric-based application devices. In this chapter, we provide an up-to-date review on the developed techniques to interrogate and use the electrosensation of C. elegans and D. rerio for the development of various manipulation and drug-screening tools. The content of this chapter can be useful to worm and fish biologists for understanding the advanced screening technologies and to microfluidic engineers for improving their devices.