Description
Which partners engage (repeatedly) in symbiotic interactions and how did they change during short or long-lasting associations?
Social bees, including honey bees and bumble bees, harbour a highly specialized and conserved gut microbial community. This microbiota has been implicated in beneficial roles in nutrient digestion and pathogen resistance. We are studying mechanisms by which these bacteria interact with each other, and with the host, to form a stable symbiotic community. We are using genomic, transcriptomic,...
Over ten thousand years ago, Drosophila melanogaster expanded from its sub-Saharan ancestral range to temperate regions, relying on thermotolerance mechanisms to adapt to new abiotic conditions. These mechanisms enable the fruit fly to survive fluctuating temperatures and recover from cold-induced injuries, with their effectiveness closely linked to the insect’s diet and nutritional status....
Members of the Roseobacter group (class Alphaproteobacteria) can account for up to 25% of the bacterial community in marine ecosystems. They are physiologically versatile, which can be regarded as prerequisite for an adaptation to different ecological niches. Members of the group are morphologically heterogeneous and either form rod- shaped single cells of variable length or multicellular...
The arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis (AMS) is a crucial partnership that enabled plants to colonize land. However, some plant lineages have evolved to abandon this symbiosis. We explored how these non-mycorrhizal plants obtain phosphorus,a nutrient typically provided by AMS. Our research discovered that these plants have formed new relationships with diverse fungi, especially those belonging...
Beneficial associations between insects and microbes are widespread, however our understanding of complex microbial communities with intricate interactions between the members and their influence on composition and functionality of symbiosis remains limited. We address symbiont-symbiont interactions in the context of a multipartite defensive symbiosis. Lagria villosa (Coleoptera:...
Microbial communities associated with plants play a crucial role in their host’s health and can influence essential physiological pathways. So far, the dynamic of microbiomes in plant populations from natural ecosystems is poorly described beyond studies in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. Through the study of the grass species Agrostis capillaris, we aim to explore the dynamic of...
Fungi of the subphylum Mortierellamycotina occur ubiquitously in soils where they play pivotal roles in carbon cycling, xenobiont degradation, and promoting plant growth. These important fungi are, however, threatened by micropredators such as fungivorous nematodes, and yet little is known about their protective tactics. We have found that Podila verticillata shields itself from fungivorous...
