show Abstracthide AbstractHere we present 81 newly assembled genomes of bacteria, which were isolated in close association with C. elegans. From these genomes, we reconstructed metabolic models for each organism and searched for metabolic pathways to infer the physiological capacity of the microbiota. In parallel, we screened carbon source use and studied bacterial growth to verify our predictions. Considering host-microbe interactions, we observed a group of isolates able to colonize and persist in C. elegans, and identified several organisms that could interact with C. elegans via cross-feeding, or provide protection against pathogens.