Pioneering immunology: insect style

Abstract

Insects are a powerful tool for discovering and then dissecting interesting new immunology. Recent insect research has made productive forays into non-classical immune areas including tolerance, immune priming (trained immunity), and environmental effects on immunity. Environments which affect immunity not only include diet and metabolism, but also social interactions and the animal's microbiota. We argue that every process that affects immunity should be considered as part of the immune response and that it is the broad phenomena discovered in insects that will be translated to other organisms rather than fine mechanistic details.