Social Microbiome Transmission

Exploring how microbes transmit through natural social networks.

Microbes are not only shaped by diet and environment but also by social interactions. Close contact between individuals provides opportunities for microbial exchange, influencing both community composition and resilience. To study this process, we use “rewilded” mice – laboratory animals reared in semi-natural outdoor enclosures – where they engage in natural social behaviors and encounter diverse environmental microbes (Vogt et al., 2024). This system allows us to track how social networks influence microbial transmission, revealing the ecological and evolutionary consequences of living in groups. Understanding these dynamics helps us connect microbiome variation to social interactions, with implications for both animal populations and human health.