For Michael Werner, a science fiction fan and biologist whose research focuses on a roundworm called a nematode, Dune is peak entertainment. In this video, Werner compares Dune’s sandworms to their Earthly counterparts—he touches on their size, teeth, hunting methods and reveals that the biggest worm lives in the placenta of a sperm whale.

Credits:
Worm expert: Michael Werner, assistant professor at the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Utah. This video was based on his article, “The Science of Sandworms of ‘Dune,’” that published in the Salt Lake Tribune in 2021.
Video produced by:
- Lisa Potter, research communications specialist, University of Utah Marketing & Communications
- Natalie Vickers, intern, U’s School of Biological Sciences
- Tanya Vickers, communications, School of Biological Sciences
- Ethan Udy, media visualization student technician, J. Marriott Library Video Studio
- Brian Maffly, research communications specialist, University of Utah Marketing & Communications
Nematode microscopic footage:
- P. pacificus eating C. elegans: the Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen
- Male meloidogyn (root-rot nematode) stylet in action: University of Florida Fruit Nematology