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 …

Gut microbiota is found in virtually any metazoan, from invertebrates to vertebrates. It has
long been believed that gut microbiota, more specifically, the activity of the microbiome and …

Twenty-nine years following the breakthrough discovery that a single-gene mutation of daf-2
doubles Caenorhabditis elegans lifespan, it remains unclear where this insulin/IGF-1 …

The biguanide drug metformin is widely prescribed to treat type 2 diabetes and metabolic
syndrome, but its mode of action remains uncertain. Metformin also increases lifespan in …

Even though the inevitable process of aging by itself cannot be considered a disease, it is
directly linked to life span and is the driving force behind all age-related diseases. It is an …

Many animal species live in close association with commensal and symbiotic microbes
(microbiota). Recent studies have revealed that the status of gastrointestinal tract microbiota …

Microbiota have diverse roles in the functioning of their hosts; experiments using model
organisms have enabled investigations into these functions. In the model crustacean …

Host-associated bacterial communities vary extensively between individuals, but it can be
very difficult to determine the sources of this heterogeneity. Here, we demonstrate that …

Background A powerful approach to understanding complex processes such as aging is to
use model organisms amenable to genetic manipulation, and to seek relevant phenotypes …

Microbes are ubiquitous in the natural environment of Caenorhabditis elegans. Bacteria
serve as a food source for C. elegans but may also cause infection in the nematode host …