Home

Platynereis dumerilii is a marine annelid that lives in shallow waters around the globe [citation needed]. It is one of the coolest emerging model organisms around, for the following reasons (in no particular order):

• Very easy to keep and breed in the lab - people have been doing it since the late 19th century.
• Transparent, especially in early stages, greatly facilitating microscopy.
• Important ecological role as bottom feeder.
• Slowly evolving species with conserved ancestral characteristics.
• Highly stereotypical, synchronous development, at least until 6dpf.
• Lots of cell types, while still being small enough that we can study them all.
• Lots of polymorphism on the sequence level.
• For sure cooler than C. elegans.
• Rich behaviour with mixed benthic/pelagic lifestyle.
• Lifelong segment proliferation.
• Can regenerate without being creepy (looking at you, planarians).

Contrary to rumours, the 6dpf stage (late nectochaete) is not cursed.

Use the side bar to navigate to the correct category.