Hey Emily! Phage research can offer insights into which phage actually kills which bacteria. Experimental trials can yield specific cocktails that are most efficient at killing certain antibiotic bacteria. Additionally, it is important to note that phage can also be genetically modified to be more efficient at lysing bacteria cells. For example, a lysogenic phage can be modified to have its repressor protein shut off; doing this might make the phage lytic and ultimately more efficient at killing its host bacteria.
Phage don’t really have a “standard” plaque size since there are so many species present. However, lytic phage consistently produce significantly smaller plaques (usually only a few mm in diameter) while lysogenic phage have larger ones. In terms of the significance of our plaque size specifically, further research annotating the genome would have to be conducted to see what genes are responsible for the plaque size and how their absence affects phage activity.
Hey Wyatt! This class is a bit more broad, so there was no set hypothesis to guide us. That being said, we did expect to isolate phage since our sample was collected from a bacteria rich site (soil outside of a dining hall). The end of our project fixated on further classifying our isolated phage.
Yes, definitely! Temperate phages tend to be less efficient at lysing cells since they have the ability to simply stay integrated in the host’s genome and form lysogens. This also increases the bacteria’s immunity to other phages since the prophage can offer immunity, which is not ideal when you are trying to eradicate the bacteria. Fortunately, this can be overridden with gene editing mechanisms that can shut off the gene responsible for producing the repressor protein, ultimately making the phage more lytic.
Hi! I really enjoyed watching your presentation! I was curious to learn more about how phage research can help with antibiotic resistance?
Hey Emily! Phage research can offer insights into which phage actually kills which bacteria. Experimental trials can yield specific cocktails that are most efficient at killing certain antibiotic bacteria. Additionally, it is important to note that phage can also be genetically modified to be more efficient at lysing bacteria cells. For example, a lysogenic phage can be modified to have its repressor protein shut off; doing this might make the phage lytic and ultimately more efficient at killing its host bacteria.
What is a typical plaque size and what is significant about the size of the ones you found?
Phage don’t really have a “standard” plaque size since there are so many species present. However, lytic phage consistently produce significantly smaller plaques (usually only a few mm in diameter) while lysogenic phage have larger ones. In terms of the significance of our plaque size specifically, further research annotating the genome would have to be conducted to see what genes are responsible for the plaque size and how their absence affects phage activity.
Great job Tanvi! One question I have for you is whether or not your results matched what you expected them to be. Did they support your hypothesis?
Hey Wyatt! This class is a bit more broad, so there was no set hypothesis to guide us. That being said, we did expect to isolate phage since our sample was collected from a bacteria rich site (soil outside of a dining hall). The end of our project fixated on further classifying our isolated phage.
Would the fact that this phage is temperate have any impact on its potential to be used in phage therapy?
Yes, definitely! Temperate phages tend to be less efficient at lysing cells since they have the ability to simply stay integrated in the host’s genome and form lysogens. This also increases the bacteria’s immunity to other phages since the prophage can offer immunity, which is not ideal when you are trying to eradicate the bacteria. Fortunately, this can be overridden with gene editing mechanisms that can shut off the gene responsible for producing the repressor protein, ultimately making the phage more lytic.