Thank you, Henri! The fact that all of our plaques were uniform in the sense that they were all cleared out and close to the same diameter alluded to the idea that we had isolated a single phage. However, this was confirmed when we were actually able to get our lysate under the microscope to see that only one species of phage existed in our sample.
Yes, the combination of restriction digest and phage cluster prediction tool is essentially this. Every genome will interact with the enzymes we used differently, by annotating and logging exactly which enzymes the genome of our phage ‘interacted’ with, we can use that information to find other phages that interacted similarly to get a starting point of genomic similarity/properties.
Thank you! We used a phage cluster prediction tool by plugging in the results of our restriction digest. Based on these results, the predictor gives you other subclusters and associated likeness percentages to show you which subclusters the phage may be most similar to. A5 and B4 has the highest associated percentage of restriction digest similarities.
This presentation was very well done and thought provoking! In terms of the impact of your research, what does it mean that the phage is not in the A5 and B4 sub clusters?
This presentation was very well done and thought provoking! In terms of the impact of your research, what does it mean that the phage was not a part of the A5 and B4 sub clusters?
Thank you! Phage are clustered (and further placed into more specific groups called subclusters) based on their similarity. By not being a part of the A5 or B4 subclusters, this simply means that our phage DNA was not similar enough to the DNA subclusters to pair with them.
Thanks for this interesting presentation! What kind of techniques go into being confident that you have isolated a single phage?
Thank you, Henri! The fact that all of our plaques were uniform in the sense that they were all cleared out and close to the same diameter alluded to the idea that we had isolated a single phage. However, this was confirmed when we were actually able to get our lysate under the microscope to see that only one species of phage existed in our sample.
Really like your presentation. What other application do phages have?
Thanks, Andrew! Phage also have the potential to be used in vaccines and agricultural settings based on their ability to kill various bacteria.
Is there a way to evaluate what kind of cluster (either A5 or B4) based on the phage’s genome as it could give you clues into it’s properties?
Yes, the combination of restriction digest and phage cluster prediction tool is essentially this. Every genome will interact with the enzymes we used differently, by annotating and logging exactly which enzymes the genome of our phage ‘interacted’ with, we can use that information to find other phages that interacted similarly to get a starting point of genomic similarity/properties.
Great presentation. What led to your decision on the A5 and B4 cluster rather than the other two you discussed in future directions?
Thank you! We used a phage cluster prediction tool by plugging in the results of our restriction digest. Based on these results, the predictor gives you other subclusters and associated likeness percentages to show you which subclusters the phage may be most similar to. A5 and B4 has the highest associated percentage of restriction digest similarities.
This presentation was very well done and thought provoking! In terms of the impact of your research, what does it mean that the phage is not in the A5 and B4 sub clusters?
This presentation was very well done and thought provoking! In terms of the impact of your research, what does it mean that the phage was not a part of the A5 and B4 sub clusters?
Thank you! Phage are clustered (and further placed into more specific groups called subclusters) based on their similarity. By not being a part of the A5 or B4 subclusters, this simply means that our phage DNA was not similar enough to the DNA subclusters to pair with them.