It was a delight to profile the wonderful Margaret McFall-Ngai for Nature. She has done some great work on partnerships between a squid and its luminous bacterium, and she’s a powerful force in the world of animal-microbe partnerships. She’s also much-loved in the field; I have never had so many sources practically falling over themselves to sing someone’s praises. McFall-Ngai’s work will feature in my upcoming book, so consider this a little taster.

The aquarium looks empty, but there is something in it. A pair of eyes stick out from the sandy floor, and their owner is easily scooped up into a glass bowl. At first, the creature looks like a hazelnut truffle — small, round and covered in tiny