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Updated: May 28, 2026

Chicken Embryo as an In Vivo Model to Revive Viable but Non-Culturable Pathogens
Published on: May 30, 2025
Embryo protection in contemporary immunology: Why bacteria matter
Sebastian Fraune1, René Augustin, Thomas Cg Bosch
1Christian-Albrechts University Kiel; Zoological Institute; Kiel, Germany.
None:
Early embryos of many vertebrates and invertebrates develop outside the mother and are exposed to a myriad of potential microbial colonizers. Here we discuss how these embryos are protected from microbial attacks and how they might control and shape their microbiota. In essence we delineate a new role for antimicrobial peptides both in selecting particular bacterial partners during early development and in being important components of a "be prepared" strategy providing transgenerational protection.
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