Our phage was temperate and its plaque morphology was turbid. This was significant because phage therapy has a preference for lytic phage, so now we knew our phage wouldn’t be as useful or likely to be used for phage therapy.
A temperate phage is a phage that can enter both the lytic and lysogenic life cycles (as opposed to lytic phage that can only enter the lytic cycle). This means that these phage can either integrate their DNA in the host’s genome or they can lyse the cell after hijacking the host’s machinery and making more phage.
What morphology was your phage, and how did the change what you know about it?
Our phage was temperate and its plaque morphology was turbid. This was significant because phage therapy has a preference for lytic phage, so now we knew our phage wouldn’t be as useful or likely to be used for phage therapy.
Are most phages isolated from soil?
Yes, it is one of the most common isolation sample sources. Phages are most often isolated in soil, sewage, or water samples.
What does it mean for the phage to be a temperate phage?
A temperate phage is a phage that can enter both the lytic and lysogenic life cycles (as opposed to lytic phage that can only enter the lytic cycle). This means that these phage can either integrate their DNA in the host’s genome or they can lyse the cell after hijacking the host’s machinery and making more phage.