A Microbial Perspective on the Grand Challenges in Comparative Animal Physiology

Area of Science:

• Comparative Physiology
• Microbial Ecology
• Animal Science

Background:

• Host-microbe interactions significantly influence animal physiology, performance, and fitness across diverse animal groups.
• Understanding these interactions is vital for advancing animal science and addressing complex physiological questions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To discuss how host-microbe interactions can address grand challenges in comparative animal physiology.
• To highlight the need for systems approaches integrating multiomic data from hosts and microbes.

Main Methods:

• Review and perspective on host-microbe interactions in comparative physiology.
• Discussion of integrating microbial communities into animal physiology research.
• Emphasis on systems approaches and multiomic data integration.

Main Results:

• Host-microbe interactions offer a framework to address horizontal, vertical, and temporal integration challenges in physiology.
• The integration requires diverse animal models and systems approaches for multiomic data analysis.
• This integration represents a new frontier for both host-microbe interaction and comparative physiology fields.

Conclusions:

• Integrating host-microbe interactions into comparative physiology is essential for a holistic understanding of animal life.
• Future research should focus on systems approaches and multiomic data to unravel complex host-microbe relationships.
• This interdisciplinary approach promises significant advancements in understanding animal performance and fitness.