Nutribloods: Novel synthetic lepidopteran haemolymphs for understanding insect-microbe nutritional interactions in vitro

Understanding the role of nutrients in microbial population dynamics relies on a sound appreciation of their nutritional environment and how this may vary in different habitats. For microbial pathogens and commensals, this can be especially challenging because the microbe may share nutritional resources with its host. Here we design a series of 20 synthetic cell-free haemolymphs (nutribloods) that mimic haemolymph nutrient profiles of caterpillars fed on one of 20 chemically-defined diets, that vary in their protein:carbohydrate (P:C) ratio and caloric density. Using these, we are able to simulate the range of nutritional conditions that insect blood pathogens might face, providing a model system for understanding the role of nutrition in microbial growth. We tested this using the entomopathogen, Xenorhabdus nematophila, a gram-negative extracellular bacterium of insect hosts. This revealed that whilst bacterial fitness peaked in nutriblood nutrient space that was high in carbohydrates ..., All data were collected in a laboratory setting, , # Nutribloods: Novel synthetic lepidopteran haemolymphs for understanding insect-microbe nutritional interactions *in vitro* [https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.wm37pvmz0](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.wm37pvmz0) ## Description of the data and file structure These data were generated from experiments designed to establish how bacterial growth (*Xenorhabdus nematophila*) varies in 20 synthetic haemolymphs that differ in their nutritional properties ### Files and variables #### File: dat2\_archive.xlsx **Description:** Bacterial growth in 20 synthetic haemolymphs varying in their nutritional properties. ##### Variables * data are described in a 'Key' sheet in the Excel file #### File: dat10\_archive.xlsx **Description:** Bacterial growth in synthetic haemolymphs in which all nutrients are constant across all haemolymphs except for one nutrient, carbohydrate, protein or amino acids. ##### Variables * data are described in a 'Key' sheet in the Excel file ## Code/software All data a...