The explosion of basic and applied immunology in the first decades of the 21st century has brought forth new opportunities and challenges for immunology education at all academic levels, from professional to undergraduate, medical, graduate and post-graduate instruction. Moreover, developing methods and techniques for educating general audiences on the importance and benefits of immunology will be critical for increasing public awareness and support. One major immediate challenge consists in accommodating, within the confines of traditional immunology curricula, a body of knowledge that continues to grow exponentially in both size and complexity. Furthermore, the practical toolbox of immunological research has vastly expanded, and even in the present environment of highly interdisciplinary and collaborative science, future immunologists will likely need to be at least conversant in, for instance, computational, structural and system biology, nanotechnology and tissue engineering. At the same time, our perspective of the immune system has progressively developed from primarily a host defense mechanism to a fundamental homeostatic system with organism-wide physiological and clinical significance, and with potentially transformative biotechnological and therapeutic applications. As a consequence, in addition to stand-alone courses, immunology is increasingly integrated into other courses, or distributed longitudinally, throughout a multi-year curriculum. This necessitates inter-disciplinary approaches to reach an expanding range of disciplines, as diverse as neurobiology, cancer biology/ oncology, infectious diseases, pharmacology, orthopedics and bioengineering. Creative approaches and pedagogical flexibility will be needed to avoid the pitfall of “one-size-fits-all” instruction, and to tailor level- and discipline-appropriate content to different types of students using multiple teaching formats. Finally, like most other disciplines, immunology education is also under strong pressure to introduce new didactic strategies that are relevant and meaningful to a generation of students who are “digital natives”, comfortable with and expect on-demand and multi-modal learning, diversified sources, and active engagement. Thankfully, the dynamic and interactive behavior of immune system cells, now visualized with striking immediacy by in vivo imaging, has the ability to capture and hold the interest of even the most jaded learner. The need for an increasingly immunology-knowledgeable workforce – not just academic and industry scientists, but also clinical and research lab technicians, biomedical engineers, and physicians in a growing array of specialties - will also expand job opportunities for immunologists as educators, and for content creators dedicated to generating new didactic tools in this field. Acknowledgement: We acknowledge the initiation and support of this Research Topic by the International Union of Immunological Societies (IUIS).

“Go into partnership with nature; she does more than half the work and asks none of the fee.” - Martin H. Fisher. Nature has undertaken an immense amount of work throughout evolution. The evolutionary process has provided a power of information that can address key questions such as - Which immune molecules and pathways are conserved across species? Which molecules and pathways are exploited by pathogens to cause disease? What methods can be broadly used or readily adapted for wild immunology? How does co-infection and exposure to a dynamic environment affect immunity? Section 1 addresses these questions through an evolutionary approach. Laboratory mice have been instrumental in dissecting the nuances of the immune system. The first paper investigates the immunology of wild mice and reviews how evolution and ecology sculpt differences in the immune responses of wild mice and laboratory mice. A better understanding of wild immunology is required and sets the scene for the subsequent papers. Although nature doesn't ask for a fee, it is appropriate that nature is repaid in one form or another. The translational theme of the second section incorporates papers that translate wild immunology back to nature. But any non-human, non-laboratory mouse research environment is hindered by a lack of research tools, hence the underlying theme throughout the second section. Physiological resource allocation is carefully balanced according to the most important needs of the body. Tissue homeostasis can involve trade-offs between energy requirements of the host and compensatory mechanisms to respond to infection. The third section comprises a collection of papers that employ novel strategies to understand how the immune system is compensated under challenging physiological situations. Technology has provided substantial advances in understanding the immune system at cellular and molecular levels. The specificity of these tools (e.g. monoclonal antibodies) often limits the study to a specific species or strain. A consequence of similar genetic sequences or cross-reactivity is that the technology can be adapted to wild species. Section 4 provides two examples of probing wild immunology by adapting technology developed for laboratory species.

This text provides a review of the roles of specific nutrients in maintaining the immune response and host protection against infection. It also considers the influence of various factors, such as exercise and ageing, on the interaction between nutrition and immune function.

The oral mucosa is a challenging environment from an immunological perspective, containing discrete niches with a unique architecture and function that requires precise adjustment of the immune system. Being the port of entry to the gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts, the oral cavity is also constantly challenged by antigens derived from air and food. Moreover, the oral cavity is the sole tissue of the body harboring a hard surface (i.e. the tooth) that is exposed to the hostile external environment, resulting in the formation of a complex biofilm that has local and systemic effects. To deal with such challenges, the oral immune system aims to prevent the invasion of pathogens/harmful antigens and to tolerate non-pathogenic counterparts in order to maintain homeostasis. In recent years, numerous studies have addressed these fundamental issues, revealing sophisticated mechanisms engaged by the immune system to maintain oral mucosal homeostasis and to combat various immunological insults. Some of these studies have identified novel immunological mechanisms, emphasizing the uniqueness of the oral immune system and the necessity to further investigate its functions.

Approximately 75% of emerging infectious diseases are zoonoses, and the rate of emergence of zoonotic diseases is on the rise. Bats are being increasingly recognised as an important reservoir of zoonotic viruses of different families, including SARS coronavirus, Nipah virus, Hendra virus and Ebola virus. Understanding bats’ role in emerging zoonotic diseases is crucial to this rapidly expanding area of research. Bats and Viruses: A New Frontier of Emerging Infectious Diseases provides an updated overview of research focusing on bat biology and the role bats play as hosts of many major zoonotic viruses. The text covers bat biology, immunology, and genomics. Chapters also delve into the various major bat-borne virus families, including lyssaviruses, paramyxoviruses, coronaviruses, filoviruses and reoviruses, among others. Edited by leaders in the field, Bats and Viruses: A New Frontier of Emerging Infectious Diseases is a timely, invaluable reference for bat researchers studying microbiology, virology and immunology, as well as infectious disease workers and epidemiologists, among others.

The term “immunobiotics” has been proposed to define microbial strains able to beneficially regulate the mucosal immune system. Research in immunobiotics has significantly evolved as researchers employed cutting-edge technologies to investigate the complex interactions of these beneficial microorganisms with the immune system. During the last decade, our understanding of immunobiotics-host interaction was profoundly transformed by the discovery of microbial molecules and host receptors involved in the modulation of gut associated immune system, as well as the systemic and distant mucosal immune systems. In recent years, there has been a substantial increase in the number of reports describing the beneficial effects of immunobiotics in diseases such as intestinal and respiratory infections, allergy, inflammatory bowel disease, obesity, immunosuppression, and several other immune-mediated conditions. Evidence is also emerging of immunobiotics related molecules with immunomodulatory functions leading to the production of pharmabiotics, which may positively influence human or animal health. Therefore, research in immunobiotics continue to contribute not only to food but also medical and pharmaceutical fields. The compilation of research articles included in this ebook should help reader to have an overview of the recent advances in immunobiotics.