300178 VO Microbial communities (2008S)

Symbiotic associations represent the basis of life on earth. Plant and animal cells originate from an ancient symbiosis between two prokaryotes; even today there is merely no organism, which does not live in symbiosis
with another organism. This lecture series will provide an overview on our current knowledge about the significance and the wide distribution of symbiosis in nature, with an emphasis on symbiotic associations between bacteria and animals or plants. Selected examples will serve to illustrate common mechanisms of interaction between pro- and eukaryotes, and to create
an understanding of symbiosis in its manifold occurrences, ranging from commensalism over mutualism to parasitism and pathogenicity. This lecture series will demonstrate how the application of modern molecular tools has
revolutionized our perception of the biology of symbiotic associations and will also highlight medical and environmental applications developed on the basis of this new knowledge.