Speaker

Hinrich Schulenburg (University of Kiel and Max-Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology Ploen, Germany)

Abstract

Microbial interactors are key determinants of the biology of any organism. The model nematode C. elegans provides an ideal host system to study these interactions, because of the large variety of tools and the enormous biological database available for this worm. I here provide an overview of our current understanding of the worm’s interaction with naturally associated microbes. I will focus on the worm’s native microbiome and the evolutionary interactions between C. elegans and some of the bacteria. Our work revealed an influence of the microbes on metabolism, developmental processes, reproduction, and especially immune defense. We further identified the bacterial traits and underlying genes, which are essential for the bacteria’s adaptation to the host environment. Our findings provide new insights into the evolution of host-microbe associations and highlight the nematode C. elegans as a tractable model system to dissect the genetics and dynamics of these interactions.