{"database":"ENA","file_versions":[],"scores":null,"additional":{"omics_type":["Genomics"],"center_name":["University of California, Los Angeles"],"full_dataset_link":["https://www.ebi.ac.uk/ena/browser/view/PRJNA1311785"],"long_description":["The composition and diversity of animal microbiomes are impacted by a variety of factors, including the environment, behavior, and phylogeny. Uncovering which factors impact animal microbiomes is important for gaining a more in-depth understanding of the ways in which hosts interact with the microbial communities that they harbor. Here, we study three species of harvester ants to ask if social interactions, physical environment, and phylogeny relate to host microbial communities. To test if social interactions impact microbial communities, we experimentally manipulated the ability of ants to interact with one another. To examine the impact of the environment, we compared the microbiome of ants from a natural setting to the microbiome of ants that were kept in the lab. To examine the relationship between microbiome and evolutionary history, we compared the microbial communities of three harvester ant species, Pogonomyrmex rugosus, P. californicus, and V. pergandei, that have similar ecological roles but differ in phylogeny. We found that the environment (field vs. lab), as well as phylogeny, explained differences in microbiome composition and diversity among ants. However, despite ants being highly social animals, social interactions did not seem to impact microbial composition or diversity. The microbiome of ants that were kept in isolation did not significantly differ from the microbiome of ants that were allowed to interact with nestmates. Our work highlights the importance of examining multiple drivers of microbiome composition and diversity and provides a fertile foundation for future work on the mechanisms and function of microbiomes in harvester ants."],"repository":["ENA"],"additional_accession":[]},"is_claimable":false,"name":"","description":"The effects of social interactions, physical environment, and evolutionary history on the microbiome of harvester ants","dates":{"last_updated":"2025-09-08","first_public":"2025-09-08"},"accession":"PRJNA1311785","cross_references":{}}