Háďátko Caenorhabditis elegans

The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Still „in“ after fifty years by Marie Šilhánková and Lenka Libusová.

Research on the model nematode C. elegans has enormously enriched the pool of biological knowledge and the flow of data does not seem to decline even after fifty years. The greatest input has always been from the traditional fields of genetics, developmental biology or neurobiology. Now researchers from areas spanning evolutionary biology to biophysics start to appreciate the advantages of this model system – multicellularity, fast reproduction cycle, easy cultivation, constant development or sequenced genome. We present two examples of recent contributions to our understanding of biology coming from C. elegans – how easy it is to lose the males and how stochastic gene expression can influence the development of an organism.