Research using a diverse array of salamander species is now exploding with the advent of genomic and experimental technologies recently made operational in these organisms. Some of the most fantastic phenomenological observations from pre-molecular times are now within reach of modern molecular biology. Chief among these phenomena are the remarkable regenerative abilities exhibited by many salamanders even as adults. Gaining a true molecular understanding of how salamanders regenerate complex tissue such as limbs, spinal cord, heart, gut, ovaries, lungs, and others, will fuel future research, both comparative and translational, in regenerative medicine. This summit aims to bring together?for the first time?all researchers actively engaged in using salamander models, as well as researchers contemplating entry into these systems, to share results, techniques, ideas, and future project plans, for the purpose of synergizing efforts toward the greater good. It will lay the foundation for broad, network-based joint efforts in activities such as genome sequencing and annotation, reagent collation and genetic stock repository creation, and consortium grant application planning. This summit will be an open-invitation event meant for both PIs and trainees (undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral fellows). Symposia will feature invited speakers as well as speakers chosen from submitted abstracts. Special events will be planned for trainees (poster session, fellowship workshop) and PIs (networking and strategic planning events). This agenda fills a large void in the conference landscape as there are currently no broad-based salamander-specific events. We have developed a preliminary agenda and speaker list. Importantly, we have selected a venue (Northeastern University, Boston, MA) that capitalizes on the annual Society for Developmental Biology meeting occurring in Boston immediately after the proposed Salamander Summit. Funding will be used to reduce (or remove) the registration costs for trainee- level attendees, with priority given to under represented minority students. We will advertise these support mechanisms throughout the developmental and regenerative biology community, and we will explicitly encourage applications from underrepresented minorities. !
As super-regenerators, salamanders stand to uniquely inspire innovative future therapeutic approaches. However, elucidating the molecular details of how these animals are capable of such phenomenal regenerative events has largely evaded researchers because of a lack of genomic and experimental resources for these organisms and because of a lack of an organized community effort toward building the models together. Now that many cutting-edge experimental and genomic resources for salamanders have emerged, we propose to bring together researchers tackling questions in salamander models for a conference aimed at coalescing expertise and interest toward community building and increased collaboration at this very important time in our field.
