Nematodes, commonly called roundworms, inhabit every ecosystem on Earth. About 30,000 species have been described so far; scientists also suspect that as many as 1 million species exist.
Many of these roundworms are linked with bacteria in a wide variety of relationships that can benefit or harm plants, animals and humans.
The Nematode-Bacterium Symbioses Research Coordination Network, headquartered at the University of Arizona, focuses on microbe and roundworm interactions as model systems for understanding biological processes, primarily in medicine and agriculture.
Created in 2009 and funded by the National Science Foundation, NemaSym's goal is to promote worldwide interaction and discourse among scientists who work in the field of nematode-bacteria symbiosis.
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