How does a worm know what’s good for dinner? In this episode, we uncover how C. elegans can distinguish between helpful and harmful microbes — and it’s all down to polyamines. These microbe-produced metabolites act like scent beacons, guiding worms to nutritious bacteria like E. coli while steering them away from pathogens.We explore:How chemosensory neurons detect polyamines like cadaverine and putrescineWhy ADF and AWC neurons are tuned to sniff out E. coli-enriched scentsHow the AIB interneuron acts as a decision hub for foragingWhy worms lose interest in mutant E. coli strains lacking polyaminesWhat this tells us about host-microbe interactions and innate sensory coding📖 Based on the research article:“Chemosensory detection of polyamine metabolites guides C. elegans to nutritive microbes”Benjamin Brissette, Lia Ficaro, Chenguang Li, et al.Published in Science Advances (2024)🔗 https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adj4387🎧 Subscribe to the WOrM Podcast for more full-organism discoveries in behaviour, sensory biology, and microbe-host interactions.🔗 www.veerenchauhan.com

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