What if microbes control your thoughts? From shrews to newts to humans, microbes have been shaping life for millions of years. But their influence goes beyond digestion—some even impact behaviour, dominance, and adaptability to new environments. Join us as we dive into the world of microbial connections, uncover the Earth Hologenome Initiative, and explore how these tiny organisms might hold the key to evolution itself. In this episode Professor Tom Gilbert and Editor Christina Lehmkuhl Noer talk to Associate Professor Antton Alberdi from Center for Evolutionary Hologenomics about how to study ecology and evolution from a holobiont perspective.