Analyzing Bacteriophages Isolated on Pseudomonas fluorescens to Determine Host Range and Novel Infection Strategies
Advisor Information
Dr. William E. Tapprich
Location
MBSC 224
Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Start Date
6-3-2020 10:30 AM
End Date
6-3-2020 11:45 AM
Abstract
Bacteria are responsible for many Healthcare-Associated infections each year and are evolving to become multidrug resistant (MDR). Bacteriophages, also called phages, are naturally occurring bacterial viruses that infect and kill their bacterial hosts. It is estimated that there are 10 variant bacteriophages per bacterium, making phages the most abundant entity in the biosphere. This vast pool of natural bacterial predators offers an alternative to current antibiotic treatments. These alternative treatments, coined Phage Therapy, can be used alone or in tandem with synthetic antibiotics to combat MDR bacterial strains. Pseudomonads are a classification of bacteria that infect a variety of plants and animals and are talented at becoming MDR. We aim to isolate and characterize bacteriophages effective against a Pseudomonas fluorescens host in the hopes of finding novel viral agents with broad Pseudomonad host range, including human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Using an array of microbiology and bioinformatic tools we have characterized bacteriophages from three variant phage families (Myoviridae, Podoviridae, and Siphoviridae). This presentation intends to provide a look into the genome, proteome and host range capabilities determined thus far.
Analyzing Bacteriophages Isolated on Pseudomonas fluorescens to Determine Host Range and Novel Infection Strategies
MBSC 224
Bacteria are responsible for many Healthcare-Associated infections each year and are evolving to become multidrug resistant (MDR). Bacteriophages, also called phages, are naturally occurring bacterial viruses that infect and kill their bacterial hosts. It is estimated that there are 10 variant bacteriophages per bacterium, making phages the most abundant entity in the biosphere. This vast pool of natural bacterial predators offers an alternative to current antibiotic treatments. These alternative treatments, coined Phage Therapy, can be used alone or in tandem with synthetic antibiotics to combat MDR bacterial strains. Pseudomonads are a classification of bacteria that infect a variety of plants and animals and are talented at becoming MDR. We aim to isolate and characterize bacteriophages effective against a Pseudomonas fluorescens host in the hopes of finding novel viral agents with broad Pseudomonad host range, including human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Using an array of microbiology and bioinformatic tools we have characterized bacteriophages from three variant phage families (Myoviridae, Podoviridae, and Siphoviridae). This presentation intends to provide a look into the genome, proteome and host range capabilities determined thus far.