These worms eat bacteria, and we will feed them bacteria that have been transformed with a plasmid expressing double-stranded RNA. This molecule degrades the production of a muscle protein (called twitchin) in the worms. Over 2-3 days, this degradation of twitchin will cause the worm to lose muscle function, which will impair its movement. This phenotype is called "uncoordinated". This lab allows the students to make a visual connection between RNA, protein, and phenotype.