I loved the presentation! I know you talked about how you could tell it was a temperate phage based on the turbid regions of the cluster, could you explain a little more why temperate phages show these cloudy regions and what you would see if it was a lytic phage?
Lytic phages kill the bacteria and will show clear and defined edges on the plaques. The temperate phages have cloudy regions because temperate phages can choose between lytic and lysogenic life cycle. If a phage chooses the lysogenic life cycle then it will not kill the bacteria but instead replicate and divide along with it. This also the gives the bacteria immunity from the other phages. Because the temperate phage is not killing the bacteria, it shows the cloudy region.
This was a great presentation. You explained everything so thouroughly and clearly and it all made a lot of sense! One question I had though- if you are able to stop one bacteriophage in a cluster from integrating its genome into the bacterial chromosome, and it’s 50% similar to the other phages in the cluster alongside it, does this mean that you could potentially inhibit the other phages in the cluster as well, or do you have to target each one specifically? (same idea for subclusters with 75% similarity as well)?
I don’t completely understand your question but I will answer it based on how I understood it. The bacteriophage integrates its genome into the bacteria cell by repressing the lytic cycle genes, and with the help of a protein called integrase. This process is individual to each bacteriophage. Inhibiting the integration of phage genome of one bacteriophage will not inhibit the other phages the same cluster. Please leave a comment if my answer does not answer your question or does not make sense.
Currently, with where my research stands, my phage is not completely characterized so using it in medicine or just real world applications would probably be hard. But once I have a chance to sequence my phage, it can be used to treat antibiotic resistant bacterial infections and hopeful take the place of antibiotics.
This was an awesome presentation, but how does this phage or phage therapy in general benefit the scientific world? How does it apply to modern applications?
Phage therapy can essential be used instead of antibiotics. Right now, there is an increase in antibiotic resistant bacteria which impacts how effectively we can treat bacterial infections or if we can even treat an infection at all. Phage therapy can decrease the use of antibiotics by replacing it with phage therapy and can help the overall increases in the antibiotic resistance bacteria threat. Though we can’t completely “fix” this problem, we can definitely try to control it. Phage therapy can be used in many different ways. We can use phage therapy to treat bacterial infections that are antibiotic resistant, we can use them to reduce water pollution caused by pathogen, we can use them agriculture, and we can also use them a bacteria screening tool in food. I hope this answers your question!
The two different life cycles are lytic and lysogenic. Phages that go through the lytic lifecylce kill the bacteria. Phages that go through the lysogenic lifecycle do not kill the bacteria because they integrate themselves into the bacteria genome. So choosing between the lifecycles would mean that the phage would either kill the bacteria or be a part of the bacteria. I hope this answers your question!
curesymposium.org 
I loved the presentation! I know you talked about how you could tell it was a temperate phage based on the turbid regions of the cluster, could you explain a little more why temperate phages show these cloudy regions and what you would see if it was a lytic phage?
LikeLike
Lytic phages kill the bacteria and will show clear and defined edges on the plaques. The temperate phages have cloudy regions because temperate phages can choose between lytic and lysogenic life cycle. If a phage chooses the lysogenic life cycle then it will not kill the bacteria but instead replicate and divide along with it. This also the gives the bacteria immunity from the other phages. Because the temperate phage is not killing the bacteria, it shows the cloudy region.
LikeLike
This was a great presentation. You explained everything so thouroughly and clearly and it all made a lot of sense! One question I had though- if you are able to stop one bacteriophage in a cluster from integrating its genome into the bacterial chromosome, and it’s 50% similar to the other phages in the cluster alongside it, does this mean that you could potentially inhibit the other phages in the cluster as well, or do you have to target each one specifically? (same idea for subclusters with 75% similarity as well)?
LikeLike
I don’t completely understand your question but I will answer it based on how I understood it. The bacteriophage integrates its genome into the bacteria cell by repressing the lytic cycle genes, and with the help of a protein called integrase. This process is individual to each bacteriophage. Inhibiting the integration of phage genome of one bacteriophage will not inhibit the other phages the same cluster. Please leave a comment if my answer does not answer your question or does not make sense.
LikeLike
That was an excellent presentation! How could your phage be applied into current medicine on antibiotic-resistant bacteria?
LikeLike
Currently, with where my research stands, my phage is not completely characterized so using it in medicine or just real world applications would probably be hard. But once I have a chance to sequence my phage, it can be used to treat antibiotic resistant bacterial infections and hopeful take the place of antibiotics.
LikeLike
This was an awesome presentation, but how does this phage or phage therapy in general benefit the scientific world? How does it apply to modern applications?
LikeLike
Phage therapy can essential be used instead of antibiotics. Right now, there is an increase in antibiotic resistant bacteria which impacts how effectively we can treat bacterial infections or if we can even treat an infection at all. Phage therapy can decrease the use of antibiotics by replacing it with phage therapy and can help the overall increases in the antibiotic resistance bacteria threat. Though we can’t completely “fix” this problem, we can definitely try to control it. Phage therapy can be used in many different ways. We can use phage therapy to treat bacterial infections that are antibiotic resistant, we can use them to reduce water pollution caused by pathogen, we can use them agriculture, and we can also use them a bacteria screening tool in food. I hope this answers your question!
LikeLike
Very well explained and thought out! Can you give me some more clarification on how choosing between the life cycles aids it in killing bacteria?
LikeLike
The two different life cycles are lytic and lysogenic. Phages that go through the lytic lifecylce kill the bacteria. Phages that go through the lysogenic lifecycle do not kill the bacteria because they integrate themselves into the bacteria genome. So choosing between the lifecycles would mean that the phage would either kill the bacteria or be a part of the bacteria. I hope this answers your question!
LikeLike