MG11 
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Abstract

GRB host galaxies

Gamma-Ray Burst host galaxies are interesting to study for two reasons: 1) they may help understand where and when massive stars were formed throughout cosmic history, and 2) the properties of host galaxies and the localisation within the hosts where Gamma-Ray Bursts are formed may give essential clues on the precise nature of the progenitors. In my view, the main current problem is to understand to which degree Gamma-Ray Bursts are biased tracers of star formation. If Gamma-Ray Bursts are only formed by low-metallicity stars, then there host galaxies will not give a representative view of where stars are formed in the Universe. On the other hand, if there is no dependency of metallicity then the nature of the host galaxies leads to the perhaps surprising conclusion that most stars are formed in dwarf galaxies. I will discuss the current evidence.