Jamais seul : ces microbes qui construisent les plantes, les animaux et les civilisations

We now know that microbes should no longer be associated solely with disease or decomposition. On the contrary, they play an absolutely essential role: all living organisms, plant or animal, depend intimately on microbes that contribute to their nutrition, development, immunity, and even behavior. Always enmeshed in a network of microbial interactions, these organisms are therefore never alone. Beginning to detail numerous symbioses that link microbes and plants, Marc-André Selosse explores the new properties that emerge and modify the functioning of each partner. He deciphers the extraordinary symbiotic adaptations of animals, whether terrestrial or marine. He describes our own microbial companions—the human microbiota—and their omnipresent and sometimes unexpected contributions. Finally, he demonstrates the role of microbial symbioses at the level of ecosystems, the evolution of life, and the cultural and dietary practices that have shaped civilizations. A professor at the National Museum of Natural History, Marc-André Selosse teaches at several universities in France and abroad. His research focuses on mutually beneficial associations (symbioses) involving fungi, and his teaching covers microbes, ecology, and evolution. He is the editor of international scientific journals and of Espèces, a popular science magazine dedicated to the natural sciences.