Meeting: Cnidofest: A workshop on cnidarian model organism biology, September 6-9, 2018, St. Augustine, FL

刺虫模型系统会议（Cnidofest 2018）将于2018年9月6日至9日在佛罗里达州圣奥古斯丁的佛罗里达大学惠特尼海洋生物科学实验室举行。这次会议将重点关注刺胞动物，这是一组主要是海洋动物，包括水母、海葵和珊瑚，重点关注被认为是“新兴模式系统”物种的动物，它们特别适合回答重要的生物学问题。最近的技术突破使研究人员能够利用刺胞细胞回答更多种类的生物学问题，并且在许多领域取得了快速进展，特别是发育生物学、神经生物学和生理学。不断增长的北美刺胞动物研究界将在2018年刺胞动物研究大会上会面，讨论他们的最新研究成果，交流思想，学习新技术，并形成合作。这次会议强调有经验的科学家和受训者之间的互动，重点是增加多样性。会议的最终目标是促进网络研究社区的发展、知识多样性和合作精神，以应对网络研究社区在规模和研究问题多样性方面的迅速扩张。刺胞动物是进行基础生物学发现的优秀实验室模型，包括神经生物学、发育生物学、生理学和生物力学。有许多特性使刺胞动物成为很好的实验模型：1)它们有简单、容易理解的身体结构，以及迷人的生命周期。2)它们作为双边动物的姐妹进化支，在系统发育上具有重要的地位；刺胞动物的发现通常反映了深度保守的过程。3)针胞动物的许多生命阶段是透明的，使它们适合活体成像。4)一些刺胞动物是研究自我/非自我识别的模型，而另一些则用于研究细胞内的共生，例如在造礁珊瑚中发现的共生。许多刺胞动物是研究再生、干细胞和衰老的绝佳模型。这些议题将是会议的主要科学焦点。此外，会议将强调将大大加强刺胞动物研究的新技术方法。两位技术演讲者将介绍新兴技术的研讨会：1)用于测量神经回路活动和行为的微流体；2)用于理解发育的单细胞RNA测序。为各个层次的刺胞动物科学家提供一个互动的平台将极大地造福于这个社区。参与者之间的互动将通过一个动态的时间表来培养，包括传统的口头报告会议，闪电演讲，海报展示，以及大量的时间来鼓励休息和用餐时的非正式讨论，这些都是作为一个小组完成的。最终目标是在研究主题的广度和扩大多个团体的参与方面发展和多样化社区。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The Cnidarian Model Systems Meeting (Cnidofest 2018) will take place September 6-9, 2018 at the University of Florida's Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience in St. Augustine, Florida. This meeting will focus on cnidarians, a group of mostly marine animals that includes jellyfish, sea anemones, and corals, with a focus on animals that are considered "emerging model systems" species that are particularly well-suited for answering important biological questions. Recent breakthroughs in technology have allowed researchers to answer a greater diversity of biological questions using cnidarians, and rapid progress is occurring in many fields, especially developmental biology, neurobiology, and physiology. The growing North American cnidarian research community will meet at Cnidofest 2018 to discuss their latest research findings, exchange ideas, learn about new technologies, and form collaborations. The meeting emphasizes interactions between experienced scientists and trainees, with a focus on increasing diversity. The ultimate goal of the meeting is to foster the growth, intellectual diversity, and collaborative spirit of the cniderian research community at a time when it is rapidly expanding (in both size and diversity of research questions).Cnidarians are excellent laboratory models for making fundamental biological discoveries, including in neurobiology, developmental biology, physiology, and biomechanics. Many qualities make cnidarians great laboratory models: 1) They have simple, well-understood body plans as well as fascinating life cycles. 2) They hold an informative phylogenetic position as the clade that is sister to bilaterians; discoveries made in cnidarians are often reflective of deeply conserved processes. 3) Many life stages of cnidarians are transparent, making them amenable to live imaging. 4) Some cnidarians are models for studying self/non-self recognition and others are used to study intracellular symbioses, such as those found in reef-building corals. 5) Many cnidarians are great models for studying regeneration, stem cells, and aging. These topics will be the major scientific focus of the meeting. In addition, the meeting will emphasize new technological approaches that will greatly enhance cnidarian research. Two technology speakers will present seminars on emerging technologies 1) microfluidics for measuring neural circuit activity and behavior and 2) single cell RNA sequencing for understanding development. Providing a platform for the interaction of cnidarian scientists at all levels will greatly benefit the community. Interactions will be fostered among participants through a dynamic schedule that includes traditional oral presentation sessions, lightning talks, poster presentations, and plenty of time to encourage informal discussion over breaks and meals, which are all done as one group. The ultimate goal is to grow and diversify the community in terms of breadth of research topics and broadening participation by multiple groups.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.