Hydra at 21, key to the door for helminth researchers.

The Hydra Conference, entitled 'Parasitic Helminths: New Perspectives in Biology and Infection', is back in full flow, with another post-pandemic in-person meeting held at the Bratsera Hotel in Hydra, Greece, on 3-8 September 2023, 21 years after the conference first came to the island. Delegates came from 20 nations around the world, with bursaries for those from lower/middle-income countries. Following a Keynote lecture by Maria Yazdanbakhsh, participants were treated to 12 wide-ranging sessions covering all matters helminthic, from nematode parasites of humans, animals, and plants, schistosomes and tapeworms, as well as free-living Caenorhabditis elegans models; in addition, many delegates attended a workshop for users of the updated WormBase ParaSite database. As in previous years, there was a strong emphasis on extended question and discussion time, while poster presenters made cameo appearances on stage with their pitches, before heading to the hotel garden for the busy poster sessions. Social events for informal networking were organized to maximize opportunities for new collaborations in helminth parasitology across the globe. In this TrendsTalk, we invite 12 young scientists and early-career researchers to illuminate the captivating scientific discoveries presented in these sessions. We encourage you to stay tuned for more information about the 2024 Hydra Conference, set to take place on 1-6 September next year (https://helminthconference.org/).