Microbiomes of native Aotearoa New Zealand animals
Microbiome research is revealing the profound effects that microbial inhabitants can have on their animal hosts. Recent and rapid advances in sequencing technologies have allowed biologists to characterise the microbial constituents of a variety of host organisms, giving greater insights into these intimate relationships than ever before. For many animal species, microbiomes serve as an interface between host and environment, with associated microorganisms playing functional roles in nutrition, immunity, reproduction, and even behaviour.