What would have changed if it was in O cluster or would it have more uses of it were in an O cluster? Slightly unsure what the main hypothesis was and what you were trying to gain by this experiment. Good job!
The purpose of determining cluster would be so it is categorized properly. This would allow a greater range of ammunition if you will, against a bacterial host that is know to be infected by that specific cluster.
bacteriophages are already specific in regards to their clusters/ sub-clusters. So a bacteriophage to target a specific bacteria you would need to determine the host range of clusters and “weaponize” that set.
not sure i understand your question, but the reason we used M. smegmatis as our bacteria to run experiments on was because it is not harmful to humans and has a ancestry closely related to bacterium such as turberculosis.
What led you to hypothesize that you had isolated an O-cluster phage in the beginning?
Our main purpose was to remove the possibility that we had an O-cluster phage. Beginning of a trail and error to determine phage cluster.
What would have changed if it was in O cluster or would it have more uses of it were in an O cluster? Slightly unsure what the main hypothesis was and what you were trying to gain by this experiment. Good job!
The purpose of determining cluster would be so it is categorized properly. This would allow a greater range of ammunition if you will, against a bacterial host that is know to be infected by that specific cluster.
Great job!
Could phages be engineered in the future to target a range of similar bacteria, or are they always specific to a discreet species?
bacteriophages are already specific in regards to their clusters/ sub-clusters. So a bacteriophage to target a specific bacteria you would need to determine the host range of clusters and “weaponize” that set.
Why wouldn’t you use an atypical bacteria to study your phage instead of the commonly used one?
not sure i understand your question, but the reason we used M. smegmatis as our bacteria to run experiments on was because it is not harmful to humans and has a ancestry closely related to bacterium such as turberculosis.
If Harlook was a K-cluster phage, would this indicate it has a proclivity for use in phage therapy?
A phage that is determined to be in any cluster has potential to be used in phage therapy. The cluster is a way of classifying its host range/uses.