The second lecture, entitled "Stories of symbiosis", showed that host-microbe symbiosis goes back a long way in evolution, one of the most beautiful examples being the formation and maintenance of the squid's luminous organ by the bacterium Vibrio fischeri , whose luciferase enzyme enables this marine invertebrate to produce a bioluminescence ensuring its "counter-illumination", and therefore its protection against predators during its nocturnal marine outings. The lecture highlighted a number of other, sometimes unexpected, examples, for example the major role of bacterial symbionts established in certain multicellular parasites such as filaria and in certain arthropod vectors, including those transmitting viral or parasitic infections. These recent discoveries open up possibilities for intervention in vector and pest control. The genomic aspect of these evolutions towards symbiosis was widely discussed as a reflection of microbe-host co-adaptation. This lecture was illustrated by a seminar given by Bruno Lemaître (EPFL, Lausanne), who developed his current work on the study of host-microbe homeostasis in the Drosophila melanogaster model system .
16:00 - 17:30
Lecture
Symbiosis stories
Philippe Sansonetti
16:00 - 17:30
