@article {Dalton085340, author = {J.P. Dalton and B. Uy and S. Swift and S. Wiles}, title = {A novel restraint device for injection of Galleria mellonella larvae that minimises the risk of accidental operator needle stick injury}, elocation-id = {085340}, year = {2016}, doi = {10.1101/085340}, publisher = {Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory}, abstract = {Larvae of the insect Galleria mellonella are increasingly being used for studying pathogenic microbes and their virulence mechanisms, and as a rapid model for screening novel antimicrobial agents. The larvae (waxworms) are most frequently infected by injection of pathogenic organisms into the haemocoel through the insect{\textquoteright}s prolegs. The mostly widely used method for restraining the waxworms for injection is by grasping them between the operator{\textquoteright}s fingers, which puts the operator at risk of needle stick injury, an important consideration when working with highly pathogenic and/or drug-resistant microorganisms. While use of a stab proof glove can reduce this risk of injury, it does so at the loss of manual dexterity and speed, resulting in a more labour-intensive and cumbersome assay. We describe a simple cost effective device (the so-called {\textquoteleft}Galleria Grabber{\textquoteright}) for restraining waxworms for injection that keeps the operator{\textquoteright}s fingers clear of the needle thus reducing the risk of injury.}, URL = {https://www.biorxiv.org/content/early/2016/11/03/085340}, eprint = {https://www.biorxiv.org/content/early/2016/11/03/085340.full.pdf}, journal = {bioRxiv} }