GelDrop Array High-Throughput Screening in Nematodes.

Nematode Growth Medium(NGM) plate-based screens consume substantial materials and time. We present GelDrop Array Screening (GelDrop), a gellan gum hydrogel droplet platform for Caenorhabditis elegans genetic crosses, mutation discovery, transgene integration, and small-molecule assays. Single animals are confined in discrete, bacteria ( OP50 )-supplemented droplets that sustain growth and reproduction for 2-3 days, providing screenable progeny while preventing escape and cross-contamination. Each 10-cm Petri dish supports 70-78 parallel screens. GelDrop can largely reduce agar use and labeling burden, boost throughput, and lower cost compared with conventional agar. The approach is simple, scalable, and compatible with standard microscopes and routine worm handling.