The 2nd Strategic Conference of Zebrafish Investigators (Asilomar, USA, February 2 - 6, 2007) will be the second international workshop for zebrafish principal investigators to discuss current research and promote coordinated advancement of research using fish as a model system. A series of biennial conferences will follow with the 3rd and 4th meetings to be organized in February of 2009 and 2011. The zebrafish is one of the premier model organisms for the genetic analysis of vertebrate development. It has also quickly established itself as an outstanding system in which to model human birth defects and diseases, including cancer. Zebrafish produce optically clear embryos that develop outside the mother, are suitable for both forward and reverse genetic analysis, and are fundamentally similar to other vertebrates. Embryological and genetic analyses in zebrafish provide a valuable complement to studies carried out in other vertebrate model organisms, including frog, chick, and mouse. Studies performed in zebrafish have greatly enriched our understanding of the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying cell fate decisions and morphogenetic processes during development. Importantly, zebrafish are also an excellent model to understand organogenesis and regeneration. Thus, studies of zebrafish mutants offer new disease models and the dissection of disease mechanisms, and may also lead to novel regenerative therapies. The 2007 meeting will include oral and poster research presentations from all participants, organized in the following topical sessions: 1. Pattern formation;2. Morphogenesis;3. Segmentation and myogenesis;4. Neural development;5. Neural function;6. Genomics;7. Molecular mechanisms of cell communication;8-9. Organogenesis;10. New areas of fish research;11. Sensory organs;and 12. Disease models. Community sessions will serve to assess the current state and future directions of fish research. Additional discussion groups will provide a platform for mentoring of the junior fish investigators by more established members of the community. The fish scientific community is growing very rapidly, currently comprising over 500 laboratories that address an increasing number of research areas. The goals of this meeting are to foster increased communication among principal investigators working on disparate research topics, and promote cohesiveness of the community as a whole. In the process of conference organization, selection of the participants, and throughout the conference, the organizers will encourage participation by women, underrepresented minorities, and persons with disabilities.
