Organisms evolve in response to their natural environment. Consideration of natural
ecological parameters are thus of key importance for our understanding of an organism's …

The health and fitness of animals, including humans, are influenced by the presence and
composition of resident microbial communities. The development of rational microbial …

Our understanding of species evolution is undergoing restructuring. It is well accepted that
host–symbiont coevolution is responsible for fundamental aspects of biology. However, the …

Background Host-microbe associations underlie many key processes of host development,
immunity, and life history. Yet, none of the current research on the central model species …

Plant-associated microbial communities can promote plant nutrient uptake, growth, and
resistance to pathogens [1–3]. Host resistance to infection can increase directly through …

The study of microbiomes by sequencing has revealed a plethora of correlations between
microbial community composition and various life-history characteristics of the …

It is now well accepted that the gut microbiota contributes to our health. However, what
determines the microbiota composition is still unclear. Whereas it might be expected that the …

The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is used as a central model system across biological
disciplines. Surprisingly, almost all research with this worm is performed in the absence of its …

Nematodes are a crucial component of rhizosphere biodiversity, affecting plant health as the
most abundant and functionally diverse soil animals. Plant-parasitic nematodes are …

Microbes can defend their host against virulent infections, but direct evidence for the
adaptive origin of microbe-mediated protection is lacking. Using experimental evolution of a …