Authors: Isobel Ronai, Gregor P. Greslehner, Federico Boem, Judith Carlisle, Adrian Stencel, Javier Suárez, Saliha Bayir, Wiebke Bretting, Joana Formosinho, Anna C. Guerrero, William H. Morgan, Cybèle Prigot-Maurice, Salome Rodeck, Marie Vasse, Jacqueline M. Wallis, Oryan Zacks
Published: 2020-08-14
DOI: 10.1186/s40168-020-00898-7
Source: Full article
AbstractHow does microbiota research impact our understanding of biological individuality? We summarize the interdisciplinary summer school on “Microbiota, symbiosis and individuality: conceptual and philosophical issues” (July 2019), which was supported by a European Research Council starting grant project “Immunity, DEvelopment, and the Microbiota” (IDEM). The summer school centered around interdisciplinary group work on four facets of microbiota research: holobionts, individuality, causation, and human health. The conceptual discussion of cutting-edge empirical research provided new insights into microbiota and highlights the value of incorporating into meetings experts from other disciplines, such as philosophy and history of science.