mSphere of Influence: Missing the trees for the forest

Katherine Rhodes is a bacteriologist working in the field of host-microbe interaction. In this mSphere of Influence article, she reflects on how two papers, "Spatial ecology of the human tongue dorsum microbiome" by S. Wilbert, J. Mark Welch, and G. Borisy and "Novel peptide from commensal <i>Staphylococcus simulans</i> blocks methicillin-resistant <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> quorum sensing and protects host skin from damage" by M. Brown et al., impact her research on <i>Neisseria</i> commensalism and host adaptation.