Research on the nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans ranges from investigating such global problems as the circuitry and function of an entire nervous system and the organization of a genome, to investigating elements involved in control of gene expression and specification of the fates of individual cells. C. elegans has become an important experimental organism for the study of many aspects of animal biology, particularly the genetic and molecular bases of development and behavior. The biennial International C. elegans Meeting is a unique forum where researchers from the United States, Canada, Europe, and Asia can exchange the ideas and information that are essential for research on this organism. Plenary and poster sessions at the meeting present new findings in the areas of embryogenesis, cell fate determination, pattern formation, nuerobiology, cell biology, cell signaling and migration, cell death, sex determination, dosage compensation, the genome, and control of gene expression. In addition, several workshops provide opportunities for general discussion of new technologies, areas of investigation, and community efforts. Dr. Strome is requesting funds to help to cover costs and travel of participants to attend the International C. elegans Meeting to be held at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, WI, in June of 1999, and to be held either at the University of Wisconsin or at the University of California in Los Angeles, CA, in June 2001. Previous C. elegans meetings have led to the exchange of knowledge, ideas, methods, mutants, and clones and have been vital in fostering the sense of excitement and the collegiality and cooperativity that characterize this field.
