What would you expect to see in a comparative analysis between past and present phage genomes in relation to host bacterial cell and phage interactions?
You would most likely expect to see that phages with high similarity in their genomes would have similar host bacteria that they can infect, so by using and comparing present genomes to past genomes with known bacterial hosts, you would be able to get an idea of what types of bacteria phage would be able to infect.
We had a lot of contamination in buffers, as well as some other hiccups, overall I think that our experiment went as planned, however if we were able to avoid this contamination we would have been able to move further in the lab, which would have been beneficial.
If the phages are in the gut then they have a specific bacterial host in the gut that is unique to their genome, it is possible that they could have hosts around the body, but it is more likely that they are in the gut for the reason being that their host cell is located there.
I do feel that temperate phages may not be used as typical cures, as the lytic phages are, that they can still have a place in the biomedical field as indicators. Since temperate phages do not immediately lyse the cell, they are able to integrate their DNA with the host, therefore determining the location of hosts. This could have interesting research applications, such as using them with fluorescent dye to identify bacteria in certain experiments.
I do believe that these phages could have applications since they do not immediately lyse the cell, they can be used as identifiers, which could have important research applications, such as using them in conjunction with fluorescent labeling to determine bacterial cells in experiments.
What would you expect to see in a comparative analysis between past and present phage genomes in relation to host bacterial cell and phage interactions?
You would most likely expect to see that phages with high similarity in their genomes would have similar host bacteria that they can infect, so by using and comparing present genomes to past genomes with known bacterial hosts, you would be able to get an idea of what types of bacteria phage would be able to infect.
Looking back on your methods, is there anything you would change about your experiment if you were to run the lab again?
We had a lot of contamination in buffers, as well as some other hiccups, overall I think that our experiment went as planned, however if we were able to avoid this contamination we would have been able to move further in the lab, which would have been beneficial.
If these phages are regulated in the gut, could they be harvested and moved throughout the body?
If the phages are in the gut then they have a specific bacterial host in the gut that is unique to their genome, it is possible that they could have hosts around the body, but it is more likely that they are in the gut for the reason being that their host cell is located there.
Do you feel that temperate phages such as yours have more applications in the biomedical field?
I do feel that temperate phages may not be used as typical cures, as the lytic phages are, that they can still have a place in the biomedical field as indicators. Since temperate phages do not immediately lyse the cell, they are able to integrate their DNA with the host, therefore determining the location of hosts. This could have interesting research applications, such as using them with fluorescent dye to identify bacteria in certain experiments.
I do believe that these phages could have applications since they do not immediately lyse the cell, they can be used as identifiers, which could have important research applications, such as using them in conjunction with fluorescent labeling to determine bacterial cells in experiments.