Co-Chairs:
Brant Weinstein, NICHD and Dennis Hickstein, NCI

Natcher Conference Center - Balcony B

Although many NIH-ers may be unaware of the presence of aquatic model organisms in their midst, these animals provide important research tools for studying development and disease. This symposium highlights some of the cutting-edge research work being done at the NIH using aquatic animals. The session will introduce some of the different aquatic species found in research labs on the NIH campus, and describe the particular advantages they provide for genetic analysis, experimental analysis, and in vivo microscopic imaging. The scientific presentations will feature recent studies by intramural investigators using the Zebrafish (Danio rerio) and South African clawed toad (Xenopus laevis) that illustrate how the unique tools available in these aquatic models provide novel insights into organ and tissue development, genomics, and signal transduction.

Program:

Studying Angiogenesis and Lymphangiogenesis Using the Zebrafish
Brant Weinstein, NICHD

Ephrin Control of Cell Adhesion and Movement: A Frog's Eye View
Ira Daar, NCI

Genetic and Genomic Approaches to Studying Hair Cell Regeneration in Zebrafish
Shawn Burgess, NHGRI

Transcriptional Regulation and Staging of Hematopoiesis: Zebrafish Gata1 and Runx1 Mutants Provide New Clues
Paul Liu, NHGRI