Most people tend to avoid worms and parasites, but researchers of helminths know that these little worms may have more positive roles than we’d like to imagine. A recently published work found that parasitic worms may promote growth of probiotic bacteria that might one day help treat inflammatory bowel diseases. Prof Yvonne Ai-Lian Lim from the Department of Parasitology, University of Malaya tells us more about her role in this study, and how worms may earn their keep in our guts.