An Accessible Approach to Optogenetics in the Classroom Using C. elegans By Heather J. Rhodes After the success I had using optogenetics with Drosophila in my undergraduate neurophysiology class last year (read, Implementing Optogenetics in the Classroom Part One: Drosophila), I decided to try working with another species — C. elegans — to conduct an optogenetics activity in my neuroscience senior seminar class this year. Getting Familiar With a New Species Like Drosophila larvae, C. elegans are transparent, which makes in vivo optogenetics very easy. By shining light of the wavelength that stimulates channel rhodopsin onto their bodies, you can observe behavioral changes. Also, like Drosophila, you can order lines of C. elegans worms that express channel rhodopsin or other effectors in specific populations of neurons. For my course, I used strain ZX460, which expresses channel rhodopsin in cholinergic neurons. Activation of channel rhodopsin in this line induces shortening of body length and a distinct coiling behavior.

In this presentation, Christina Gremel will cover why and when to use optogenetics to investigate brain function. Specifically, Gremel will: - Identify the advantages and disadvantages of optogenetic techniques compared to other techniques, such as lesions, pharmacological manipulation, and chemogenetics, to manipulate brain function. After watching this presentation, you should be able to gain a general understanding on what optogenetics offers when exploring neural bases of behavior.

In this presentation, Vikaas Sohal will provide an overview of the “basic operating parameters” for optogenetic tools. Specifically, Sohal will: - Describe how to consider opsin kinetics when designing light trains for stimulation. - Describe how to validate the expression of optogenetic tools. - Identify important considerations when combining optogenetic tools with each other or other optical methods. After watching this presentation, you should be able to understand the critical considerations when selecting optogenetic tools.

Oswald Steward is a professor of anatomy and neurobiology at the University of California at Irvine School of Medicine.

Emanuel DiCicco-Bloom, MD, is a professor at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.