Resources and information for using Hydra as a model system.
Interested in using Hydra to address your favorite scientific questions?
Would you like to expand the model systems used in your laboratory?
Hydra are easy to culture for relatively little cost, and OpenHydra can point you to everything you need to get started.
Take advantage of our Resource Hub to start your Hydra colony. Join us on protocols.io anytime to learn new experimental procedures, and if you would like some additional hands-on experience, consider attending our annual springtime Hydra workshop at the Marine Biological Laboratory.
Get started with Hydra
Here are some resources and tools for getting started with Hydra:
Available Strains and Transgenic Lines
- Contact us to order the standard laboratory strain Hydra vulgaris AEP
- Visit the Strain Database for a list of all available transgenic lines
- Click here to obtain instructions for culturing Hydra
Building Your Own Transgenic Lines
- Want to make a custom transgenic line? Visit the Plasmid Database to browse available expression vectors.
- To learn how to make your own transgenic line: Watch this JoVE video and visit protocols.io.
- Visit the Bosch lab transgenic Hydra facility website to order a custom transgenic line.
Protocols and Other Tools
- Visit protocols.io to browse the library of experimental protocols
- Browse microfluidic devices and fabrication protocols designed for Hydra
- Visit the Hydra Genome Browser to look for your favorite genes and visit the Hydra Cell Atlas to discover the cell types that express these genes.
Join us at the Marine Biological Laboratory
The Marine Biological Laboratory at Woods Hole hosts an introductory workshop every April to help researchers build their expertise with Hydra.
Topics include:
- Handling and culturing Hydra
- Grafting tissues from different Hydra together
- Reassembling Hydra from single cells
- Microfluidics and functional imaging
- Behavioral tracking
- Microinjection
- Production of transgenic animals
View the 2019 workshop agenda and contact us for registration details.