Credit:
Olavius algarvensis, a marine worm (seen in inset) found in shallow waters off the coast of Elba, Italy, relies on microbes that live in its body to process its waste and provide energy. ORNL researchers used metaproteomics to help understand this microbial community, which serves as a model for more complex communities such as those found in humans. (Photo credit: Christian Lott/HYDRA/Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen)