INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS ON INVERTEBRATE MORPHOLOGY
-ICIM 6-
10th-14th of August, 2025, Concepcion, Chile
For the first time, an ICIM congress will be hosted in South America. Participants will explore Chile´s unique marine and terrestrial biodiversity while engaging in high-level scientific discussions and advancing our understanding of invertebrate form and function.
Building on the success of
Vienna (2022), Moscow (2017), Berlin (2014), Harvard (2011), and Copenhagen (2008), the 6th International Congress on Invertebrate Morphology (ICIM-6) will be held at the University of Concepcion, Chile during the second week of August 2025 (10th to 14th). This congress is organized on behalf of the International Society for Invertebrate Morphology (ISIM) by the Laboratory of Marine Genomics, Development and Evolution (LMGDE) headed by Associate Professor Felipe Aguilera, at the Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry in the Faculty of Biological Sciences at the University of Concepcion.
The University of Concepcion -UDEC-
With more than 100 years, UDEC is one of Chile’s most prestigious and oldest universities, recognized for its academic excellence, research contributions, and cultural impact.
UDEC plays a pivotal role in national and regional development through its strong emphasis on research, innovation, and public engagement. Its main campus is notable for its architectural and historical significance. As a leading research institution, UDEC maintains collaborations with international academic networks, fostering interdisciplinary studies and contributing to global scientific advancements. The University has a strong emphasis on marine biology, environmental sciences, and biotechnology.
The Research focus of LGMDE
Is the genomic, cellular, and developmental mechanisms that drive the evolution and functioning of animals. The lab integrates omics data, bioinformatics, computational biology, and molecular and developmental techniques to explore the regulation and evolution of a diverse range of marine invertebrates, including species of economic and environmental importance, and model organisms for studying fundamental questions in biology and biomedicine.
Additionally, the lab examines the impact of environmental stressors on marine biodiversity, expanding the diversity of animal model systems in research by developing new, genetically tractable aquatic organisms, providing deeper insights into fundamental biological processes.
The team employs a wide range of methodologies, including immunolabeling, confocal and electron microscopy, advanced imaging, gene isolation and cloning, in situ hybridization, genome mining, phylogenetic reconstruction, phylogenomics, single-cell RNA sequencing, transcriptomics, genomics, and epigenomics.
The 2025 edition of ICIM
Seeks to bring together leading researchers, students, and professionals worldwide to explore the latest advances in invertebrate morphology, evolution, and developmental biology.
ICIM-6 will focus on the diverse body plans and structures in extant and extinct invertebrates and their evolutionary transformations, emphasizing integrative research that combines traditional morphological studies with modern molecular, computational, and cutting-edge imaging techniques.