Modeling human phenotypes in the nematode C. elegans during an undergraduate developmental biology course
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Caenorhabditis elegans is a widely used model organism in biomedical research due to its genetic tractability, short life cycle, and conservation of many developmental processes with humans. In this study, undergraduate students conducted nine independent experiments during a Developmental Biology course to model human phenotypes using C. elegans. Each group selected a human phenotype of interest, identified a gene associated with the phenotype, and then determined the orthologous or homologous gene in C. elegans. By obtaining mutants and designing phenotypic assays, students investigated the extent to which the worm models could recapitulate aspects of the human condition. This collective work highlights both the potential and limitations of C. elegans as a model for human phenotypic variation and disease and demonstrates the value of undergraduate inquiry as a catalyst for scientific engagement and research-based learning.
Authors: Sireen Aburaide, Pader Xiong, Daniel Wolfson, Tashi Wangmo, Anthony Vassallo, DJ Smith, Madeline Shaw, Luis Millan, Samantha Meyer, Bobby Lee, Divine Katasi, Evelyn Juen, Allison Hookam, Ahmed Elewa, Yoskar Deleon, Mason Chamberlain, Ahmed Suad, Lian Yaeger
Institutions: Augsburg University, University of Augsburg, Miami University
Language: English
Subfield: Education
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4414444556
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