Share your insights: The Collection from the International Conference for the Developmental Biology of the Sea Urchin and Marine Invertebrates in Discover Developmental Biology is now open for submissions
Published in Ecology & Evolution, Cell & Molecular Biology, and Genetics & Genomics
The DBSUMI XXIX Conference Collection: Selected Papers from the International Conference for the Developmental Biology of the Sea Urchin and Marine Invertebrates
Discover Developmental Biology is please to collaborate with the 2026 International Conference for the Developmental Biology of the Sea Urchin and Marine Invertebrates (DBSUMI XXIX, taking place from 7 to 11 October 2026 at the Marine Biological Laboratory) to launch a new Conference Collection, inviting all participants of DBSUMI XXIX to contribute their latest research.
What is this collection about?
For over a century, echinoderm embryos have served as foundational model organisms in developmental biology. Research in echinoderms has yielded critical insights into gene regulatory network architecture, cell lineage specification, and the dynamic morphogenetic processes, driving early embryonic development. Recent transgenic creation of several of these echinoderm species further provide unprecedented research tools for making exciting discoveries in developmental processes.
This Collection invites participants of the DBSUMI XXIX conference to submit research, review, methodology, brief report or perspective articles. Topics span from reproduction, cell fate specification, gene regulatory mechanisms, signaling pathways, regeneration, and organogenesis.
The submission deadline will be 31 July 2027.
Championing the conference collection
Dr. Mamiko Yajima is an Associate Professor (Research) in the Division of Biology and Medicine, Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry at Brown University, USA. Her research focuses on the mechanisms of asymmetric cell division and molecular segregation that contribute to asymmetric cell fate during early embryogenesis, using sea urchin embryos as a major model system. Dr. Yajima will serve as Lead Guest Editor for this collection.
Prof. Smadar Ben-Tabou de-Leon obtained her PhD in theoretical physics from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and later transitioned to developmental and evolutionary biology during postdoctoral research at the Davidson lab at Caltech. She is an Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Marine Biology at the University of Haifa. Her research uses sea urchin embryos to study the biological regulation and evolution of development. Dr. Ben-Tabou de-Leon is one of the co-Guest Editors of this collection.
Dr. Gary Wessel is Professor of Biology at Brown University, experienced teacher and researcher with over 250 peer reviewed publications, former Editor-in-Chief and Editorial Board member to several journals in the area of reproduction and development. Dr. Wessel will co-lead this collection alongside the other Guest Editors.
Dr. Rossella Annunziata is an evolutionary developmental biologist. She earned her PhD at the Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn (SZN, Naples), where she investigated the evolution of gut patterning Gene Regulatory Networks in echinoderms. In 2019, she joined SZN as a researcher in the Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms. Dr. Annunziata is one of the co-Guest Editors of this collection.
How can I submit my paper?
Visit the Collection page to find out more about this collection and submit your article.
Hello everyone, my name is Yao Guo, and I am an Associate Editor for Discover Journals, based in Shanghai. I have a PhD degree in Biochemical Engineering, and am interested in exploring various themes and content in the Medicine and Life Science area. Taking charge of three Discover Journals in the Medicine and Life Sciences Segment - Discover Biotechnology, Discover Developmental Biology and Discover Toxicology, I oversee the journals' strategic development, engage with the editorial board, ensure the quality of published content, and build awareness and trust with the Discover imprint in our communities.
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Discover Developmental Biology
Formerly Development Genes and Evolution, this journal is a fully open access, peer-reviewed journal supporting multidisciplinary research across all fields of biological development relevant to animals, plants and microorganisms.
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This proposed collection will highlight recent advances in understanding the molecular mechanisms that regulate heart development and how their disruption leads to congenital heart disease. We welcome original research, reviews, and perspectives addressing genetic, epigenetic, transcriptional, and signaling pathways that govern cardiac cell specification, morphogenesis, chamber formation, and functional maturation. Particular interest will be given to studies that connect developmental mechanisms with disease pathogenesis, including work using animal models, stem cell systems, human genetics, and multi-omics approaches. By bringing together studies across basic and translational developmental biology, this collection aims to provide new insights into the origins of congenital heart disease and to promote emerging strategies for diagnosis, modeling, and therapeutic intervention.
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Developmental programming refers to the process by which early-life environmental factors influence the long-term health outcomes of an individual, including susceptibility to diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer. Epigenetic modifications, which involve changes in gene expression without altering the underlying DNA sequence, have been increasingly recognized as key mediators of developmental programming. These modifications include DNA methylation, histone modifications, and non-coding RNAs, and can be influenced by a variety of factors such as stress, nutrition, toxins, and other environmental exposures during critical periods of development. Notably, epigenetic changes may be heritable, leading to transgenerational effects on health.
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