For research purposes, the tree shrew shares many advantages with the rodent (small body size, short reproductive cycle, low maintenance cost), but is phylogenetically closer to primates, exhibiting a more developed visual system and higher cognitive capabilities. There are currently several active tree shrew breeding colonies and 20-30 visual neuroscience labs in the U.S. using tree shrews as their model organism, and there is rapidly growing interest from new users. Furthermore, since completion of the tree shrew genome in 2013, several groups have begun efforts to produce genetic tools for measurement and manipulation of neurons in the tree shrew. Here we propose the first Tree Shrew Users Meeting to bring together the community of established and new investigators who use tree shrews in their studies of neuroscience, with a focus on visual neuroscience. We believe such a meeting will improve tools and skills transfer between groups and lead to potential collaborations, ultimately leading to novel scientific discoveries. We have planned the meeting with the following specific aims:
Aim 1) to provide a collaborative environment for communication among established and new tree shrew researchers, Aim 2) to discuss the supply and demand for tree shrews in the US, and Aim 3) to discuss existing and future development of genetic tools in the tree shrew, including ongoing efforts towards producing transgenic animals. This first meeting represents an essential stepping stone in establishing a collaborative scientific community centered on this species. A well-connected community will allow for efficient information exchange around topics including species characteristics, breeding and rearing, and experimental tools and techniques. Given their small size and high cognitive ability, and availability of genetic tools, we believe the tree shrew animal model will continue to play an important, expanding role in addressing neuroscientific questions that are currently intractable in flies, rodents, and primates. Particular to vision sciences, the tree shrew will serve a critical role in our understanding of retinal development and disease leading to therapeutic solutions for myopia and glaucoma in addition to other visual disorders.
Most research on visual neuroscience is carried out in mice or monkeys, but additional animal models are needed to understand whether findings in these animals generalize to others. The tree shrew is an ideal small animal model with a primate-like visual system that has become critical in studies of the visual system in health and disease over several decades, yet the availability of relevant scientific training and shared knowledge is scarce. The Tree Shrew Users Meeting will gather diverse scientists and trainees from the USA and abroad to share knowledge and training that will ultimately help the neuroscience community find answers regarding disorders of the human visual system, such as glaucoma and myopia.
