Superfund Research Program

These images show the experiment setup and images of glowing worms. Orange arrows in the bottom right box point to fluorescence from tagged mtl-2 genes.

A team at the NIEHS-funded Duke University Superfund Research Program (SRP) Center created a simple, interactive experiment to teach children about the health effects of heavy metals like cadmium. Led by Javier Huayta, Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow at the Duke SRP Center, the approach uses a microscopic, transparent worm called Caenorhabditis elegans and a do-it-yourself fluorescence microscopy setup to show the effects of metal exposure at a genetic level.

To set up the experiment, the team first exposed C. elegans to cadmium for 24 hours in the lab, triggering an increase in production of mtl-2, a gene that helps detoxify cadmium. Next, the scientists tagged this gene with a green fluorescence protein, which glows under blue light.

Using a “do-it-yourself” fluorescence kit, researchers shined a blue LED light on the worms to highlight their transparent bodies. In response, cadmium-exposed worms glowed as the green fluorescence protein in their cells was activated. To confirm that cadmium was the cause, the team compared microscopic images of exposed and unexposed worms and measured how much light the worms emitted, finding that cadmium-exposed worms shined brighter.

“We see a lot of potential for this experiment in classrooms or informal education spaces,” said Chiara Klein, a program coordinator at the center’s community engagement core. “Beyond the materials needed for setup, all that is needed is a willing institution and a great facilitator.”

Learn more about this experiment in the NIEHS Environmental Factor.