MCO student Nicole Bush from Craig Hunter’s lab nominated her worm pick.
Sometimes it’s the things you make yourself that are the best. That’s the case with Bush, a sixth year Ph.D. student in the molecules, cells and organisms program. She uses a tool called a worm pick to work with C. elegans. “This is a classic tool that every worm lab person needs,” she said. It originated in the 1970s to move worms from plate to plate and has been serving that purpose ever since. Researchers make their own picks and customize them. Bush’s handles are all wrapped in pink, for example. Making the tool involves breaking the end off an old glass Pasteur pipette, inserting a tiny strip of platinum, and melding them. A penny and nickel are then used to hammer the platinum strip, which is also sandpapered so as not to impale the worms. “What I love most about the worm pick is the individuality of each one, and the fact that we make them in our own lab. It’s a huge part of C. elegans lab culture, and is a great way to show your individuality on the bench.”
