Bacterial relationships with their hosts have been catapulted into the spotlight with the recent explosion of microbiome research. In theory, before becoming a vital part of their host, microbiome members were once a part of the environment. How did they evolve from a state of independence into embracing interdependence? A group recently published their insights on this question in Nature Microbiology, using an unlikely system: The stink bug and its ‘bugs’. This paper might be about smelly bugs, but their results are sweet.
Join us for journal club on March 28th at 3PM EST! As always, all are welcome. Here’s the link to join: https://hangouts.google.com/?action=call&id=7c6zqv63wvgjdg57wysuhyeipym
Link to the paper:
Obligate bacterial mutualists evolving from environmental bacteria in natural insect populations
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