22 October 2026, 15:00
A Microbial Perspective on Animal Development, Sensing and Behavior
Description AbstractAnimals have evolved within the framework of microbes and are constantly exposed to diverse microbiota Eukaryotic organisms are therefore metaorganisms consortia of zygote derived host cells and associated microorganisms including bacteria archaea fungi protists and viruses Hosts and microbes are deeply interconnected often co evolving and shaping one another s fitness Over the past decades microbiome research has shown that microbial communities are essential for normal animal development physiology and reproduction Microbial signals also become integrated into neural circuits influencing behaviour across evolution from simple reflexes in Hydra to associative learning in honey bees and emotional regulation in mammals Yet how animals perceive transmit and integrate these signals remains largely unknown Using the ancestral metazoan Hydra as a model I will argue that animal development and behaviour are not autonomous processes but emerge through transient and persistent interactions with the microbial world Symbiotic microbes provide developmental and behavioural signals that contribute directly to phenotype formation Integrating the microbiome into our understanding of development and evolution therefore reveals a more complete picture of how organisms function adapt and evolve and of the very fabric of life itself About the speakerThomas is a leading researcher in host microbe interactions and the biology of metaorganisms Using the freshwater polyp Hydra as a model his group has transformed our understanding of how microbial communities shape animal development nervous system function and behaviour His seminar will offer a fascinating perspective on animals as deeply integrated partnerships between hosts and microbes with broad implications for development behaviour and evolution... AbstractAnimals have evolved within the framework of microbes and are constantly exposed to diverse microbiota. Eukaryotic organisms are therefore metaorganisms: consortia of zygote-derived host cells and associated microorganisms, including bacteria, archaea, fungi, protists, and viruses. Hosts and microbes are deeply interconnected, often co-evolving and shaping one another’s fitness.Over the past decades, microbiome research has shown that microbial communities are essential for normal animal development, physiology, and reproduction. Microbial signals also become integrated into neural circuits, influencing behaviour across evolution—from simple reflexes in Hydra to associative learning in honey bees and emotional regulation in mammals. Yet how animals perceive, transmit, and integrate these signals remains largely unknown.Using the ancestral metazoan Hydra as a model, I will argue...
Speaker(s): Thomas Bosch, Kiel University, Germany
Host: Aissam Ikmi
Place: Small Operon
EMBL Heidelberg
Additional information
Abstract
Animals have evolved within the framework of microbes and are constantly exposed to diverse microbiota. Eukaryotic organisms are therefore metaorganisms: consortia of zygote-derived host cells and associated microorganisms, including bacteria, archaea, fungi, protists, and viruses. Hosts and microbes are deeply interconnected, often co-evolving and shaping one another’s fitness.
Over the past decades, microbiome research has shown that microbial communities are essential for normal animal development, physiology, and reproduction. Microbial signals also become integrated into neural circuits, influencing behaviour across evolution—from simple reflexes in Hydra to associative learning in honey bees and emotional regulation in mammals. Yet how animals perceive, transmit, and integrate these signals remains largely unknown.
Using the ancestral metazoan Hydra as a model, I will argue that animal development and behaviour are not autonomous processes, but emerge through transient and persistent interactions with the microbial world. Symbiotic microbes provide developmental and behavioural signals that contribute directly to phenotype formation. Integrating the microbiome into our understanding of development and evolution therefore reveals a more complete picture of how organisms function, adapt, and evolve—and of the very fabric of life itself.
About the speaker
Thomas is a leading researcher in host–microbe interactions and the biology of metaorganisms. Using the freshwater polyp Hydra as a model, his group has transformed our understanding of how microbial communities shape animal development, nervous-system function, and behaviour. His seminar will offer a fascinating perspective on animals as deeply integrated partnerships between hosts and microbes, with broad implications for development, behaviour, and evolution.