Matters Microbial #130: The Holobiont — Animals, Microbes, and Ecology

May 19, 2026

Today Dr. Kevin Kohl, Associate Professor of Biological Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh, joins the #QualityQuorum to discuss how he and his colleagues study the interplay between animals, their resident gut microbes, and the overarching concept of the holobiont.

Host: Mark O. Martin

Guest: Kevin Kohl

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Links for this episode

The One Health Microbiome Center at Pennsylvania State University.
A very fine essay on the holobiont concept for non-microbiologists.
A general introductory overview of the holobiont concept.
The holobiont concept and the coral symbiosis.
A partial history of the development of the holobiont concept.
Dr. Casadevall suggests that context and thus outcomes describes the term "pathogen," and a similar analysis applies to the holobiont.
A very short description of the holobiont concept.
Another overview of the holobiont concept in general, coauthored by Dr. Kohl.
Some basic rules for thinking about the holobiont concept.
A video introduction to the holobiont concept, by Dr. Seth Bordenstein.
I highly recommend this essay by the science writer Carl Zimmer, "The Human Lake," to think of the connections between lake ecology and microbial interactions with humans.
Another wonderful article recommended by Dr. Kohl, by Dr. Margaret McFall-Ngai and coauthors, detailing the impact microbes have on animals over evolution and development.
The wood rat – creosote – microbiome connection to the holobiont concept, discussed on this podcast (coauthored by Dr. Kohl).
The fascinating work by Dr. Kohl and colleagues showing the relationship between tadpole development and pond microbes discussed in this podcast.
A must read article by Dr. Kohl and colleagues, "Through the microbial looking glass: our shifting understanding of the holobiont and microbes as mediators of organismal biology," illustrates the development and influence of the holobiont concept.
Dr. Richard Prum's book, "Performance All the Way Down," was discussed during this podcast. There is also a video where Dr. Prum discusses the ideas in this book, describing gene regulation as a performance.
Dr. Kohl's faculty website.
Dr. Kohl's (very interesting) research website.

Intro music is by Reber Clark

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Matters Microbial #130: The Holobiont — Animals, Microbes, and Ecology

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Matters Microbial #130: The Holobiont — Animals, Microbes, and Ecology