Michael Kelly
Modern life sciences are being forced to update key hypotheses that previously seemed unchallengeable in light of groundbreaking studies on the diversity and universality of microbes. The eras and fundamental ideas of Darwin, Mendel, and the modern synthesis must be placed in the context of the current scientific advancements that are enabling a new understanding of the fundamental significance of microbiology in order to fully comprehend the change that the field is currently undergoing. Animals and plants are now referred to as "holobionts," which are biomolecular networks made up of the host and any associated bacteria. They are no longer celebrated as autonomous beings. Models of animal and plant life that do not take into consideration these intergenomic linkages are insufficient. As a result, their collective genomes create a "hologenome." Here, we incorporate these ideas into both traditional and modern conceptions of biology, summarizing a framework for evaluation that is both provable and debatable.