41st Annual Meeting of the Society for Invertebrate Pathology
and 9th International Conference on Bacillus thuringiensis

Over the last decade, the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans has become an important model for the study of host-pathogen interactions. Two types of defences appear to be of particular importance: the innate immune system and behavioural avoidance of pathogens. Both defences are expressed against diverse pathogenic microorganisms and they are based on surprisingly complex molecular mechanisms. During my presentation, I will summarize our current understanding of the evolution and genetics of C. elegans defences with a particular focus on those directed against Bacillus thuringiensis.