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Viruses represent most new pathogens that impact humans. Their emergence is often caused by close interaction between humans and wild animal populations, exacerbated by anthropogenic activities. Songbirds are often closely associated with humans but almost nothing is known about their virome even though they can carry pathogens that are transmissible to humans, pets and livestock.
Dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) is an anti-stress compound with key roles in global nutrient and sulfur cycling, signalling and climate. DMSP functions as an osmoprotectant, cryoprotectant, protectant against oxidative stress and a grazing deterrent in bacteria and marina algae.
The gut microbiome influences how animals behave and interact with their environment via the microbiome–gut–brain axis (MGBA). There is an urgent need to understand how this operates in wild animals, where cognition and behaviour shape responses to environmental change.