# AI based system for longitudinal, repeated measure analyses of freely moving C. elegans worms

> **NIH NIH R43** · MICROBRIGHTFIELD, LLC · 2021 · $449,987

## Abstract

Abstract
This project aims to develop WormInvestigator™, a novel, highly innovative system for performing automated,
high-throughput and longitudinal studies of the behavior of C. elegans worms freely moving and socially
interacting on agar plates (hereafter: "freely moving worms") across multiple time points over extended times
(e.g., multiple days) with repeated measures designs. Work in Phase I will focus on demonstrating feasibility of
our novel, patent pending, WormRecognizer™ technology – the ability to perform automatic, image-based
identification of individual C. elegans worms within a group of freely moving worms ("digital tagging of freely
moving worms"). Work in Phase II will focus on creating the full functionality of WormInvestigator for the
commercial release. The innovation inherent in WormRecognizer will serve as the basis for enabling a game-
changing innovation in the field – the ability to perform high throughput longitudinal, repeated measures design
analyses of locomotion and other behavior of freely moving C. elegans worms from discrete, non-continuous
video sequences. Compared to study designs that have independent groups repeated measures designs offer
more statistical power and the possibility to track an effect over time. Specifically, repeated measures designs
for analyzing locomotion and other behavior of freely moving worms will allow researchers to definitively assess
the likelihood that a particular behavior is associated with a prior behavior, which is impossible without repeated
measures designs or impractical continuous imaging and tracking under constant illumination. WormRecognizer
will leverage the Deep Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) architecture to perform automatic identification of
the tracks of the same worm in videos of groups of freely moving worms recorded at different time points;
encouraging pilot data were generated during preparation of this application. C. elegans is increasingly used as
a model organism in research focusing on brain mechanisms underlying complex behaviors and pathological
alterations thereof, including research into neurodevelopment, Alzheimer's disease, autism, schizophrenia and
traumatic brain injury. Thus, WormInvestigator will enable significant advancements in various mental
neuroscience applications that use C. elegans as a model organism. Specifically, the fact that C. elegans express
many of the neurotransmitters and associated receptors that are found in higher eukaryotes, including humans,
makes C. elegans highly attractive for the (high throughput) screening of next generation therapeutics for mental
diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, as well as for disorders that rely on neurotransmitter release modulation
such as next generation treatments for schizophrenia. We will perform extensive feasibility studies, product
validation and usability studies of WormInvestigator in close collaboration with expert neuroscientists. Market
research performed during preparation o...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10258638
- **Project number:** 1R43MH126834-01
- **Recipient organization:** MICROBRIGHTFIELD, LLC
- **Principal Investigator:** JACOB R GLASER
- **Activity code:** R43 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $449,987
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-07-09 → 2022-07-08

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10258638

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10258638, AI based system for longitudinal, repeated measure analyses of freely moving C. elegans worms (1R43MH126834-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-08 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10258638. Licensed CC0.

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