Hannah V. Carey

TL;DR: Recent technological and intellectual advances that have changed thinking about five questions about how have bacteria facilitated the origin and evolution of animals; how do animals and bacteria affect each other’s genomes; how does normal animal development depend on bacterial partners; and how is homeostasis maintained between animals and their symbionts are highlighted.

TL;DR: Detailed understanding of hibernation from the molecular to organismal levels should enable the translation of this information to the development of a variety of hypothermic and hypometabolic strategies to improve outcomes for human and animal health.

TL;DR: Unraveling the pathways that result in reduced immune function during hibernation will enhance the understanding of immunologic responses during extreme physiological changes in mammals.

TL;DR: Mucosal atrophy induced by FM reduces total intestinal absorption of nutrients, but nutrient absorption normalized to mucosal mass may actually be enhanced by a variety of mechanisms, including increased transporter gene expression, electrochemical gradients, and ratio of mature to immature cells.

TL;DR: The results indicate that the ground squirrel microbiota is restructured each year in a manner that reflects differences in microbial preferences for dietary vs. host-derived substrates, and thus the competitive abilities of different taxa to survive in the altered environment in the hibernator gut.