NeuroChip: A microfluidic sensor for electrophysiological recording of a nematode neural network

Pharmaceutical and agrochemical industries have an increasing need for cost effective experimental platforms for compound screening. We have invented a device to screen compounds for effects on the nervous system using the microscopic nematode worm C. elegans. We liken it to a worm 'EEG'. It exploits the cost effectiveness of using an invertebrate model whilst providing an exquisite level of detail and resolution on drug action. The device is a microfluidic chamber, 'NeuroChip'. It traps the worm, records the activity of a neural circuit in its head and applies compounds through a system of microvalves. This has particular relevance for the Crop Protection and Animal Health industries as the nervous system is a proven target for the majority of compounds that are currently deployed as nematicides and antiparasitics. Moreover, it provides the potential to deliver a neurotoxicological and biological activity profile for compounds that are of interest to the pharmaceutical industry.