The study of the genetic programs driving regeneration in Hydra could lead to
exciting new discoveries across a range of scientific fields.
The tiny, tentacled freshwater animal Hydra has an amazing ability to constantly renew all of its cells from stem cells and regenerate its entire body from a small piece of tissue.
Hydra has essentially the same genes that are found in all animals, including humans – but unlike humans, Hydra can use these genes to replace any body part, anytime.
The study of the genetic programs driving the renewal of tissue and recovery from injury in Hydra could lead to exciting new discoveries across a range of scientific fields: for example, by learning how Hydra neurons connect with each other to rebuild a neural network, we may improve our ability to aid the human brain during recovery from injury.
Despite this potential, Hydra remains understudied because the research community is small and lacks centralized resources to develop and distribute technology and methods.
OpenHydra brings scientists and educators together to share best practices and resources to make
biological research in Hydra more accessible, efficient, and effective, and increase the number of
researchers and studies driving new discoveries with Hydra across a range of scientific fields.
New Technologies for
Research using Hydra
We’re developing tools for gene manipulation, the study of neural activity, and improved Hydra maintenance.
Learn more about us.
OpenHydra
Resource Hub
Get the resources, tools and methods you
need for using Hydra in biological research.
Go to the OpenHydra Resource Hub.
Support & Community for
Researchers & Educators
Get started now, whether you’re an experienced Hydra researcher, a researcher new to Hydra, or a
K-12 educator.
