High‐throughput COPAS assay for screening of developmental and reproductive toxicity of nanoparticles using the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans

Abstract

With the rapid advancement and numerous applications of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) in science and technology, their effects on animal health, environment and safety should be considered carefully. However, quick assessment of their effects on developmental and reproductive health and an understanding of how they cause such adverse toxic effects remain challenging, because of the fast‐growing number of ENMs and the limitations of the different toxicity assays currently in use as well as lack of suitable animal model systems. In this study, we performed a high‐throughput complex object parametric analyzer and sorter (COPAS) assay for assessing the developmental and reproductive toxicity of ENMs using Caenorhabditis elegans and provide descriptions of the data and their subsequent analysis. The results showed significant reproductive and developmental toxicity potential of different ENMs. We assessed the usefulness of this method in terms of error‐free data, user‐friendliness and results being consistent with those of visual, molecular and cellular studies. Moreover, the COPAS Biosort system could be used on a larger scale to screen thousands of chemicals, drugs, pharmaceuticals and ENMs. This study also indicates that the COPAS‐based high‐throughput screening system is highly reliable for the assessment of toxicity and health risks of NMs.

Microfluidic-Assisted Caenorhabditis elegans Sorting: Current Status and Future Prospects

“…After analysis, the C. elegans that meet user-defined criteria can be dispensed into bulk containers or multiwell plates for high-throughput sorting (Fig. 2 C) [ 58 , 59 , 87 ].…”

An automatic recognition method of nematode survival rate based on bright field and dark field experimental images

“…C. elegans represents an excellent complement to in vitro cell culture-based systems and in vivo vertebrate models. In the recent decades, C. elegans has been proven to be a valuable model animal for both toxicity assessment and toxicological mechanism study of complex chemicals, such as heavy metal, fine particulate matter (PM2.5), and so on [ 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 ]. Compared with other model organisms, such as mice, nematodes have the advantages of low cost and easy operation.…”