# Discoveries and innovations in cnidarian biology at Cnidofest 2024

## TL;DR

The Cnidofest 2024 meeting highlighted advances in cnidarian biology, showing how these organisms are becoming powerful models for studying animal development and regeneration.

## Contribution

The meeting demonstrated how cnidarians are catching up with classical models like Drosophila through modern genomic and molecular tools.

## Key findings

- Cnidarian model systems are now being used with modern genomic and molecular tools.
- Cnidarians are being developed for functional studies to provide insights into animal biology.
- The integration of cnidarian and bilaterian models expands the toolkit for addressing biological questions.

## Abstract

The third iteration of the Cnidarian Model Systems Meeting (Cnidofest) was held August 14–17th, 2024 at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, PA. The meeting featured presentations from laboratories representing 11 countries, covering a broad range of topics related to cnidarian species. The research highlighted diverse topics, with sessions focused on regeneration, evo-devo, genomics, symbiosis, cell biology, physiology, neurobiology, and development. A notable shift at this meeting was the extent to which established cnidarian model systems have caught up with the classical laboratory models such as Drosophila and vertebrates, with modern genomic, genetic, and molecular tools now routinely applied. In addition, more cnidarian systems are now being developed for functional studies by the community, enhancing our ability to gain fundamental insights into animal biology that are otherwise difficult in the complex bilaterian model systems. Together, the integration of cnidarian and bilaterian model systems provides researchers with a broader toolkit for selecting animal models best suited to address their specific biological questions.