Introduction

In 1963, Sydney Brenner wrote a proposal to Max Perutz on tackling the next ‘big questions’ in molecular biology. Beginning with the postulate that simple organisms have many of the features that control development and physiology in more complex organisms, Brenner proposed ‘to tame a small metazoan’ to discover the ‘control mechanisms’ of development. As Brenner had hoped in the 1960s, C. elegans has provided the foundation for many areas in neuroscience. Brenner and Sulston’s contributions resonate beyond scientific concepts. They championed a tradition of open access and data sharing, which permeates the C. elegans community and contributes to its power in advancing scientific progress.