Timely questions

• How is the microbiome acquired (i.e. relative importance of horizontal and vertical transmission)?

• Which ecological and evolutionary factors determine the stability and resilience of the microbiome once acquired

• What are the drivers of intra-individual variation in the microbiome?

• Do microbiome composition and dynamics predict host health and fitness?

• Are microbiome dynamics linked to host senescence?

• Do early life events shape microbiome composition in adulthood?

• Do shifting social landscapes cause microbial change?

• Are microbiome phenotypes heritable across variable environments?

• How universal are microbial relationships within and among hosts and populations - do the same microbes always interact?

• Can we understand the functional properties of the gut microbiome