Dr. Norflus is currently doing research on the nematode (a type of worm) called Caenorhabitis elegans (C. elegans).  These worms feed on bacteria and can be cultured on Petri dishes by just growing the worms on top of the bacteria.  If you look at the picture below, you can see that the worms come in different sizes.

The size of the worms differs depending on their life stage.  The worms can be classified as embryos, L1, L2, L3, L4 and adults.  There is also a stage known as the dauer stage in which the worms are dormant.  They can stay in this stage for a number of months and can then be brought back to life.  The different stages are shown in the diagram below.

The research in Dr. Norflus' lab is focused on studying behavioral abnormalities of the worms and testing different drugs to see if these abnormalities can be reversed. Dr. Norflus is working with worms with Huntington's disease and worms that have the HAP1 gene (Huntingtin associated protein 1) knocked out.  Some of this research was presented at the Synapse2007 meeting by Jenny Cribb and Nymol Ou.  Other research was presented by LaQuinte Brinson at the minorities affairs committee of the American Society of Cell Biology annual meeting in December 2009. 

To learn more about C. elegans, look at the worm book.

To learn more about C. elegans techniques, look at the techniques page.

If you are interested in this project or a related project, please contact Dr. Norflus.