A cell-cell atlas approach for understanding symbiotic interactions between microbes

Natural environments are composed of a huge diversity of microorganisms interacting with each other to form complex functional networks. Our understanding of the operative nature of host-symbiont associations is limited because propagating such associations in a laboratory is challenging. The advent of single-cell technologies applied to, for example, animal cells and apicomplexan parasites has revolutionized our understanding of development and disease. Such cell atlas approaches generate maps of cell-specific processes and variations within cellular populations. These methods can now be combined with cellular-imaging so that interaction stage versus transcriptome state can be quantized for microbe microbe interactions. We predict that the combination of these methods applied to the study of symbioses will transform our understanding of many ecological interactions, including those sampled directly from natural environments.

Automated summary

Natural environments consist of diverse microorganisms interacting to form functional networks. The application of single-cell technologies has revolutionized the understanding of development and disease. Methods such as cell atlases can now be combined with cellular imaging to quantify microbe interactions, transforming our understanding of ecological interactions.