Team
InterACT
Team Manager: Cabirol Amélie
Presentation
Our team investigates how microorganisms shape complex animal behavior and the cognitive processes that underlie it.
Over the past decade, growing evidence has shown that gut microorganisms—long-term partners of their hosts—can influence brain function and behavior. Yet, how the gut microbiota uniquely shapes the brain and cognition in healthy individuals remains largely unknown.
We combine laboratory and field-based approaches to uncover the mechanistic foundations of the microbiota-gut-brain (MGB) axis, while also assessing its ecological significance. The honeybee offers a powerful model to explore these interactions: it allows the use of defined gut microbial communities and enables precise tracking of their neurobiological effects on host cognition.
By studying the influence of the MGB axis on cognitive performance in natural populations of non-human animals, we aim to uncover conserved mechanisms of gut-brain communication. We also seek to understand the evolutionary pressures that shaped microbial metabolic functions and contributed to the maintenance of this axis across species.
Project 1
Animal societies are composed of individuals with diverse cognitive abilities. Some individuals, for instance, learn faster, while others retain information for longer periods. Could these cognitive differences be linked to variations in gut microbial composition? Over the past decade, research has demonstrated that gut bacteria can produce metabolites capable of modulating host behavior through the gut-brain axis.
The Micro-Cog project aims to explore inter-individual variability in the gut-brain axis and its role in cognitive differences in the honeybee (Apis mellifera). The honeybee provides a unique model system, offering precise control over gut bacterial communities. Its social lifestyle naturally fosters cognitive variability among individuals, making it an ideal organism to investigate the ecological relevance of the gut-brain axis. Our team studies the neural mechanisms through which specific bacterial species influence cognitive performance, as well as the impact of this modulation on the structure and function of bee societies.
– Cabirol A., Chhun A., Liberti J., Neuschwander N., Kesner L., Schaerli Y., Engel P. (2024). Fecal transplant allows transmission of the gut microbiota in honey bees. mSphere. 9(9): e00262-24.
Fecal transplant allows transmission of the gut microbiota in honey bees | mSphere
– Liberti J., Engel P., Cabirol A. (2024). The interplay between gut symbionts and behavioural variation in social insects. Current Opinion in Insect Science. 65:101233.
Interplay between gut symbionts and behavioral variation in social insects – ScienceDirect
– Cabirol A., Moriano-Gutiérrez S., Engel P. (2023) Neuroactive metabolites modulated by the gut microbiota in honey bees. Molecular Microbiology. 122(3): 284-293.
Molecular Microbiology | Microbiology Journal | Wiley Online Library
– Cabirol A., Schafer J., Neuschwander N., Kesner L., Liberti J., Engel P. (2023) A defined community of core gut microbiota members promotes cognitive performance in honey bees. Available on BioRxiv.
https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.01.03.522593
