Lurking in the crevices of our planet are millions and millions of microscopic worms. They live in soil, plants, water, ice, wildlife, and sometimes even humans. In fact, nematodes—also known as roundworms—are among the most abundant and diverse animals on Earth, where they play a variety of roles.
For the past 25 years, Paul Sternberg, the Thomas Hunt Morgan Professor of Biology at Caltech and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator, has been studying the development and behavior of these creepy-crawly creatures and has recently uncovered important clues about how the worms communicate.
