Symbiosis is a broad ecological topic encompassing the diverse spectrum of long-term interspecific interactions, including mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism, defined by close physical or functional association between organisms. Research on symbiosis addresses mechanisms of partner recognition, metabolic and genetic integration, coevolutionary dynamics, and the regulation of costs and benefits across environmental gradients. It spans macro- and micro-organism interactions, such as plant-microbe, animal-microbe, and microbial consortia, and is central to understanding community assembly, niche construction, holobiont concepts, and stability–resilience properties of ecosystems, as well as informing models of evolutionary innovation and functional diversification within and across trophic levels.
From fundamental biological units as tiny as genes to complex societies, ecological systems rely on cooperation. All manner of organisms can benefit from working together to survive in a dog-eat-dog world. "Mutualism is a ...
Plants & Animals
Feb 9, 2026
0
41
Sleep is essential for much of the animal kingdom. During the night, neuron and tissue repair mechanisms are activated to aid recovery from daily activity. This is risky: organisms that sleep are more vulnerable to predators. ...
Plants & Animals
Jan 28, 2026
0
31
A six-year analysis of marine microbes in coastal California waters has overturned long-held assumptions about how the ocean's smallest organisms interact.
Ecology
Jan 21, 2026
0
18
A research team has achieved a significant breakthrough in understanding the adaptive strategies of the deep-sea black coral Bathypathes pseudoalternata (B. pseudoalternata) and its symbiotic microbiome. The study has been ...
Ecology
Dec 29, 2025
0
23
An international team of researchers led by the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology has uncovered a hidden world of tiny partnerships thriving in wastewater treatment plants worldwide. The microscopic allies—specialized ...
Ecology
Dec 15, 2025
0
23
Researchers from Kumamoto University and collaborating institutions have discovered a new species of deep-sea sea anemone that builds shell-like "homes" for hermit crabs—an extraordinary case of mutualism and co-evolution ...
Plants & Animals
Nov 4, 2025
0
70
A new manuscript published in the Journal of Fish Biology reveals that relationships between fish and sea anemones are more diverse than those portrayed in "Finding Nemo." Captured through breathtaking blackwater photography, ...
Ecology
Oct 7, 2025
0
19
Some species of termites are known to cultivate their own crops of fungus within their nests, similar to the way humans maintain farms to feed people. One such species is Odontotermes obesus, which cultivates the fungus Termitomyces. ...
A multinational research team has discovered a mysterious tubular structure—previously unknown in any organism—within Profftella, a symbiotic bacterium associated with a major global citrus pest. This discovery, made using ...
Cell & Microbiology
Sep 24, 2025
0
19
Around 4,000 plant species from different parts of the world secrete nectar outside their flowers, such as on their stems or leaves, through secretory glands known as extrafloral nectaries. Unlike floral nectar, extrafloral ...
Plants & Animals
Sep 15, 2025
0
118
