The caenorhabditis genetics center (CGC) and the caenorhabditis elegans natural diversity resource

Research using C. elegans has led to fundamental insights into basic biological mechanisms, including the genetic basis of programmed cell death and cell signaling, the discovery of microRNAs, and the identification and subsequent elucidation of the mechanism of RNA interference in animals, and has been used to increase our understanding of the mechanisms of cancer progression and other diseases including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Caenorhabditis elegans is an androdioecious (hermaphrodite-male) species with a short generation time. The worms develop externally and are transparent, allowing observation of developmental events throughout an animal’s entire life history. The Caenorhabditis Genetics Center (CGC) was established in 1979 at the University of Missouri and subsequently moved to the University of Minnesota. During its first year in operation in MO, the center distributed a mere 15 strains. In 2013, 31,242 strains were shipped by the CGC. The CG Center’s collection contains ~20,700 genetically distinct strains of C. elegans in addition to more than 40 species in the genus. The work of the CGC is complemented by the activities of Wormbase, WormAtlas, and the Caenorhabditis elegans Natural Diversity Resource.