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The human microbiome plays an integral role in shaping our biology with a similar number of bacterial (38 trillion) and human (30 trillion) cells. These microorganisms are not passive inhabitants; they contribute to essential functions like digestion, immunity and even mental health. This symbiotic relationship has co-evolved with us over millions of years. Human survival and adaptation to environmental changes have been driven not just by genetic evolution but also by our dynamic relationship with microbes. They help us navigate environmental stressors, fend off pathogens and facilitate complex metabolic processes, making them key players in our evolutionary resilience.

Unlike human cells, which adapt slowly to environmental changes, microbial cells can evolve rapidly. We can also introduce new microbes, adapted to altered environments, into our systems through food, supplements or drugs, helping us adjust to climate-driven changes in our surroundings. These adaptations could aid in processing new food sources, protecting skin and lungs from environmental shifts and adjusting metabolism.

This project aims to investigate how the microbiome helps organisms adapt to rising temperatures caused by global warming. A multi-disciplinary research team at the University of the Fraser Valley will use the three-spine stickleback, a fish commonly found in British Columbia, as a model for adaptation to explore whether microbiome diversity influences the fish's physiological adaptation and survival under thermal stress.

The project deliverables include:

1. a comprehensive dataset on microbiome diversity and composition in fish exposed to simulated global warming,
2. insights into the relationship between microbiome diversity and physiological adaptation to heat stress, including changes in heat shock proteins and other biomarkers,
3. data from in vitro models to demonstrate how microbiomes affect nutrient absorption and stress responses in fish cells under elevated temperatures, and
4. data on whether transferring heat-adapted microbiomes enhances fish survival and acclimation to warming environments.

This research will enhance our understanding of how microbiomes can help stickleback tolerate warmer temperatures. The findings could benefit fish health and aquaculture and may also spark research on the role of and impacts on the human microbiome on human health in a changing climate. Ultimately, this work may lead to broader solutions for managing the effects of climate change on ecosystems and human health.