Meeting: With a Little help from my Friends: Microbial Partners in Integrative and Comparative Biology, a Symposium for the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB)

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The vast diversity and number of microbes that reside on other organisms, i.e., the "microbiota", are increasingly being recognized for their importance in the health and well-being of their host organisms. For the most part, scientific studies on the interactions between microbes and their hosts have largely been focused on humans or model species (e.g., laboratory mice) in an effort to understand issues related to human health. However, research into roles that microbes play in the ecology and physiology of their host is a rapidly growing area, and one that has much to contribute to human health and agricultural practices. The organizers will host a symposium that brings together a number of scientists that investigate host-microbe interactions at the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology's annual meeting January 4-8, 2017. Nine speakers and the two symposium organizers have been invited to present seminars discussing their research programs. The organizers have made efforts to broaden participation in this meeting by inviting seven female speakers and two racial/ethnic minorities. In addition to the research presentations, the organizers will host a 3-hour workshop discussing the tools, techniques, and challenges of microbiome research in integrative and comparative biology. This symposium will expose researchers in SICB to these methods.Recent studies have revealed that animals are not individuals but rather are "holobionts" that host highly diverse and interactive communities of microbes. These microbial communities provide a number of services and functions to their hosts. For the most part, investigations in the host-microbial interactions have been focused on humans or model systems targeted at human health. However, research into roles that microbes play in the ecology and evolution of their host is a rapidly growing area. The organizers will host a symposium that brings together a number of researchers that investigate host-microbe interactions, which also spans the interests of members of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB). This meeting will take place in conjunction with the annual meeting of SICB in New Orleans, LA, from January 4-8, 2017 and is organized by Dr. Denise Dearing (University of Utah) and Dr. Kevin D. Kohl (Vanderbilt University). Nine speakers and the symposium organizers have been invited to present seminars discussing their research programs. The organizers have made efforts to broaden participation in this meeting by inviting seven female speakers and two racial/ethnic minorities. In addition to the research presentations, the organizers will host a 3-hour workshop discussing the tools, techniques, and challenges of microbiome research in integrative and comparative biology. This will expose researchers in SICB to these methods. Results from this meeting and workshop will be published in the journal Integrative and Comparative Biology.