27th August 2021, 9.30pm to 28th August 2021, 9.30pm
Nematode populations
We isolated 38 new strains of C. elegans and 25 new strains of C. briggsae from single wild hermaphrodites in Kenya and South Africa in March–April 2006. Despite extensive sampling from 36 sites, Caenorhabditis nematodes were only found in four locations: (1) compost from a private garden (Johannesburg, South Africa); (2) compost from a plant nursery (Ceres, South Africa); (3) compost from a mushroom farm (Limuru, Kenya) and (4) leaf litter in a public park (Nairobi, Kenya). Strain name designations for C. elegans are ED3040–ED3077, and for C. briggsae are ED3078–ED3102. The sampling sites and strain designations are described in Table 1. Various other nematode species were also found in these sites, including many strains of Oscheius tipulae, which have also been characterized (Baïlle et al., 2008).
Nematode populations
We isolated 38 new strains of C. elegans and 25 new strains of C. briggsae from single wild hermaphrodites in Kenya and South Africa in March–April 2006. Despite extensive sampling from 36 sites, Caenorhabditis nematodes were only found in four locations: (1) compost from a private garden (Johannesburg, South Africa); (2) compost from a plant nursery (Ceres, South Africa); (3) compost from a mushroom farm (Limuru, Kenya) and (4) leaf litter in a public park (Nairobi, Kenya). Strain name designations for C. elegans are ED3040–ED3077, and for C. briggsae are ED3078–ED3102. The sampling sites and strain designations are described in Table 1. Various other nematode species were also found in these sites, including many strains of Oscheius tipulae, which have also been characterized (Baïlle et al., 2008).
https://www.nature.com/articles/6801079/figures/1
[10:12 AM, 8/28/2021] Arunan HBSCE: C elegans in Africa @Batul Pipewala Kolkata @Saida Sayyed @KIRAN CUBE
[10:15 AM, 8/28/2021] Arunan HBSCE: Which is the latest publication on Indian Cenorhabditis? @Batul Pipewala Kolkata
[11:02 AM, 8/28/2021] Arunan HBSCE: “As a model organism, the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has provided an outstanding system for elucidating fundamental problems in biology. However, the attitude regarding the natural history and ecology of Caenorhabditis has long been ‘hakuna matata’, to use the Swahili phrase meaning ‘no worries’. To achieve a robust understanding of the evolutionary context in which C. elegans’ developmental and genetic patterns emerged, it is necessary to characterize representative natural populations on a worldwide scale and to conduct comparative analyses of Caenorhabditis species.”
https://www.nature.com/articles/6801079#:~:text=As%20a%20model,of%20Caenorhabditis%20species.
Why hunting for Indian C elegans is important?
526th Day of CUBE Chatshaala: 27th August 2021
526th Day of CUBE Chatshaala: 27thAugust 2021 – Google My Maps
16 CUBists from 16 CUBE centres had joined the webinar
INDIA
Delhi
Dr P. Chitralekha: DSC
Jharkhand
Man Masih Beck: Kokar, Ranchi
Rechel Tirkey: Morabadi, Ranchi
Kerala
Arunima: Kozhikode
Aswathy Suresh: Thriprayar
Lakshmy PJ: Kandassankadavu
Seethalakshmi CR: Pazhuvil, Trissur
Maharashtra
Abhijeet Singh: Ulwe, Navi Mumbai
Aditya Joshi: Kalyan
Arunan MC: Breach Candy, South Mumbai
Khan Shaheen: NES Ratnam College, Mumbai
Manasi …
Latest map from where C elegans has been found green dots and pink areas show where C elegans has not been found despite sampling.white areas show where sampling for C elegans has not been done
[12:13 PM, 8/28/2021] Batul Pipewala Kolkata: Article by Marie Ann Felix
[12:35 PM, 8/28/2021] Batul Pipewala Kolkata: Outstanding questions about the natural history of C. elegans.
What is the pattern of C. elegans migration at different geographical distances? What are the relevant vectors? Are humans now major vectors over large scales?
Over a small scale, ongoing local population surveys will provide insights into migration patterns. Over large scales, selective sweeps estimated to date from 100–200 years ago have spread to different continents: their migration and selection might thus relate to human activity (e.g., via human travelling and the trafficking of goods, and via selection, perhaps by chemical compounds) (Andersen et al., 2012).
What is C. elegans geographical center of origin? Are there species that are very closely related to C. elegans (see phylogeny in Box 2)?
Increased sampling in poorly sampled and isolated geographical regions might provide access to divergent populations that did not undergo the recent selective sweeps and so inform us of C. elegans’ older history and habitats.
What does C. elegans eat?
C. elegans likely feeds mostly on bacteria, but we do not know which bacteria. The sterols it requires might come from yeast or from the rotting plant substrate itself.
What is the generation time and the number of generations per year in the wild?
The latter is surely far less than in the laboratory (ca. 150), but is it by one or two orders of magnitude?
What are the relevant dauer entry and exit cues?
Whether associated organisms have an influence on dauer formation has not been investigated.
Where does C. elegans spend its winter? What are the source populations?
In temperate regions, C. elegans is most often sampled in autumn, when it is found at high density. We ignore how and where this organism survives winter, for example, whether it becomes associated with a carrier organism.
Last week we had a wonderful conversation on Indian Philosophies. We will continue our barefoot chat live session-32, this afternoon from 3-4 pm at https://webinar.hbcse.tifr.res.in/b/dp6-vs2-a2s
More Details: BFC Session-32 [August 28 2021] Order and Chaos in our physical and social worlds
@Seethalakshmy CUBE, @Raj Yashwantrao Patil CUBE @Shrudhiga
VIDEO SHARED BY SANA AT 3.37PM
last year video (4/11/2020)
objective of the study:To replicate nutrient broth made in labs and inoculate microbes
Observation:A thick biofilm on home made lab
Long term objective:To grow bacteria in our home by using frugal Nutrient broth.
Home lab:Sana Jalili,Mira road
What is the frugal nutrient broth you made at home
How did you make nutrient broth in HomeLab? Please describe.
Invitation to join today’s CUBE chatShaala, 
Please add name of your PLACE/AFFILIATION along with the FULL NAME while joining, this would help us in making map of participants. Map will also be shared in all CUBE what’s app groups and on metastudio after the session
Here’s the direct link of the CUBE webinar: https://webinar.hbcse.tifr.res.in/b/kir-hye-cn4
Timing:5.30-9.30pm
Looking forward to your participation
Thanks.
VIDEOS SHARED BY SUSANTA
Half an hour time lapse video of Sleep Wake Cycle : Phyllanthus
Date :28 August 2021
Time : 5.07 PM to 5.37 PM
Location :Sonari, Assam 27°N95°E video :Susanta Tanti
PHOTOS SHARED BY ADITIYA AT 7.20PM
Microbial colonies in less than 24 hours on boiled potato slice
GENTLE REMINDER to join tomorrow’ CHAI AND WHY? session at 11am
Date: 29th August 2021 (Sunday)
Time: 11am
Youtube link: https://youtu.be/lqUTobuDgvs
FaceBook link: Redirecting...
Looking forward to your participation
Thanks 
Following are the links to spread the event.
Zoom link: Launch Meeting - Zoom
Youtube link: https://youtu.be/lqUTobuDgvs
FaceBook link: Redirecting...
All the best everyone. Rock it tmrw. Let the ripples be felt widely. 
All the best to all teams!!!
Quite excited…all the best everyone…looking forward👍🏻
All the very best to Everyone and each team 
Let’s have Chai 
and Ask Why tomorrow!
[10:22 PM, 8/28/2021] Priti Kanade: All the Best:+1:t2:
[10:23 PM, 8/28/2021] Priti Kanade: 
All the best 
All the best give your best shot everyone!!