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We now know that microbes should no longer be associated solely with diseases or decomposition. On the contrary, they play an essential role in every way: all living organisms, whether plants or animals, are intimately dependent on microbes that contribute to their nutrition, development, immunity, or even behavior. Always caught in a network of microbial interactions, these organisms are therefore... never alone. First detailing numerous symbioses that associate microbes and plants, Marc-André Selosse explores the new properties that emerge and modify the functioning of each partner. He deciphers the extraordinary symbiotic adaptations of animals, whether terrestrial or underwater. He describes our own microbial companions – the human microbiota – and their contributions, omnipresent and sometimes unexpected. Finally, he demonstrates the role of microbial symbioses at the level of ecosystems, the evolution of life, and the cultural and dietary practices that have forged civilizations. Professor at the National Museum of Natural History, Marc-André Selosse teaches at several universities in France and abroad. His research focuses on mutually beneficial associations (symbioses) involving fungi, and his teachings on microbes, ecology and evolution. He is the editor of international scientific journals and of Espèces, a popular journal dedicated to the natural sciences.