Think twice before challenging a nematode to an obstacle course. The
nimble microscopic worms can race through a maze of pegs at nine times
their free-swimming speed.
Michael Shelley and Jun Zhang
from New York University and colleagues let worms loose in water mazes
where the spacing of pegs varied. Then they created mechanical
simulations of a worm's motion, using the same layout of obstacles,
which were compared to the real-life behaviour.
The team found that a worm's strokes closely resembled those in the
models. When the amplitude of a wiggle closely matched the spacing in
the maze, a worm would be propelled faster as it bumped into obstacles.
Wider spacing would cause a worm to swim slower despite a faster wiggle
rate.
The findings suggest that physical forces, and not just
sensory input, play a significant role in helping a worm navigate. The
team will now be testing the worms in complex obstacle courses that are
more similar to the sediment in their natural environment.
The work could provide insight into the wiggly motion of sperm and the lifecycle of malaria.
If you enjoyed this video, see the first movie of a mouse thinking or check out a goose flying upside down
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