The UBC C. elegans Gene Knockout Laboratory is part of an international consortium, working to produce null mutations in identified and predicted genes in the C. elegans genome. Our gene targets include those with human homologs, many of which may be implicated in human genetic diseases, as well as a set that are nematode specific. These latter genes are important from a human health perspective and because nematodes are major agricultural pests. Determining the function of genes specific to nematodes could offer the pharmaceutical industry new target proteins for nematicide development.

Gene inactivation is accomplished by two methods. The majority of screening is done using a PCR-based reverse-genetics method. More recently we have pioneered the use of oligonucleotide array comparative genomic hybridization (oaCGH) as a tool for deletion discovery.

Complete determination of the C. elegans DNA sequence makes possible the targeting of all genes in this organism, which in turn will help elucidate the detailed information necessary to build a worm. Significant conservation between nematode and human genes may provide answers to vexing biological and genetic questions in our own species.