Reverse genetics and next‐generation sequencing unlocked a new era in biology. It is now
possible to identify an animal (s) with the unique biology most relevant to a particular …

Bilaterality–the possession of two orthogonal body axes–is the name-giving trait of all
bilaterian animals. These body axes are established during early embryogenesis and serve …

Abstract Model organisms are widely used in research as accessible and convenient
systems to study a particular area or question in biology. Traditionally only a handful of …

Jellyfish (medusae) are a distinctive life-cycle stage of medusozoan cnidarians. They are
major marine predators, with integrated neurosensory, muscular and organ systems. The …

Hox genes encode conserved developmental transcription factors that govern anterior-
posterior (AP) pattering in diverse bilaterian animals, which display bilateral symmetry …

Cnidarians are fascinating creatures at the base of metazoan evolution possessing an
almost unlimited regeneration capacity that has attracted the interest of researchers, from …

The mouth opening of bilaterian animals develops either separate from (deuterostomy) or
connected to (protostomy) the embryonic blastopore, the site of endomesoderm …

Development is a highly dynamic process in which organisms often experience changes in
both form and behavior, which are typically coupled to each other. However, little is known …

The ability to perform muscle contractions is one of the most important and distinctive
features of eumetazoans. As the sister group to bilaterians, cnidarians (sea anemones …

BMP signaling plays a crucial role in the establishment of the dorso-ventral body axis in
bilaterally symmetric animals. However, the topologies of the bone morphogenetic protein …