We are entering an era in which the critical functions of microbes in the biological world are increasingly recognized. One of the largest roles microorganisms play is in their associations with multicellular hosts and, while the history of microbiology has to this point concentrated on pathogenic interactions, both scientists and the public are now aware of the even greater impact that microbes have on the health of their animal and plant partners, and of the environments in which they live. The 2017 Gordon Research Conference (GRC), and associated Gordon Research Seminar (GRS), on Animal-Microbe Symbioses seek to promote the presentation and discussion of the most important and timely research in this exciting area of biology. The range of topics is broad, covering theoretical to the applied approaches, using examples involving viruses, fungi and bacteria, found in marine, freshwater and terrestrial environments. The conference and seminar invite scientists to attend, present and participate fully in the examination of these topics, and to return to their own work with new insights, ideas and collaborations.Â
Research on the beneficial microbiomes of animals has recently become highly active, due in part to major advances in methods for studying uncultivable organisms, such as molecular biological techniques (e.g., the 'omics') and imaging methods that combine information about identity and function at the single-cell level. These and other new approaches are providing novel and unexpected insights into mutualistic associations between animals and their microbiota. There is an unusually young and enthusiastic demographic for this field that has been strengthened by the attraction of established investigators from areas like immunology, behavior and developmental biology. A vital factor helping to drive the impact of microbiome research is a recurring, high-quality conference combining the best of both mammalian and non-mammalian model systems, with an eye to applying the newest technological advances in bioinformatics, sequencing, mathematical modeling and imaging approaches to understanding the mechanisms underlying them. Such a conference, while focusing on animal-microbe symbioses, should also including allied fields like plant symbioses and pathogenic microbiology whose different viewpoints can inspire novel ideas. The 2017 GRC/GRS are designed to develop new interactions that will drive this kind of intellectual synthesis. These two meetings play the critical role of enhancing and assuring the participation and visibility of both early career and senior scientists by showcasing short oral presentations along with lectures by invited speakers. This is an exciting time to be part of such a biological adventure, and the perfect opportunity for the GRC/GRS in Animal-Microbe Symbioses to have a significant impact.
