Hi, Aubrey, thanks for your question! Yes, my lab partner and I did name our phage Pitbull. One of the criteria for archiving our phage was that we needed a unique name that was not already in the antinobacteriophage database. My lab partner and I were trying to think of various topics to name our phage after, such as our favorite celebrity, singer, song, etc., and one of Pitbull’s signature sayings, “Been there, done that” inspired us. It was especially motivating when we had to repeat various experiments following unsuccessful results. However, this lab was a great learning opportunity for how science works, in all its successes and failures.
*If you are interested in reading more about unique phage and their discovery and characterization, feel free to visit PhagesDB.org.
Hi, Anika, thanks for asking a question! A restriction digest cuts DNA sequence in specific regions according to the surrounding proteins. This process involves incubating a segment of DNA with restriction enzymes that are capable of recognizing, binding, and cutting specific nucleotides within, or outside, the region it can identify. This experiment was observed by gel electrophoresis with hopes of providing information as to what cluster Pitbull’s DNA belongs to.
Hi, Bing, thanks for asking a question! One case in which phage were successfully used as a therapy treatment was for a 15-year-old girl who suffered from a Mycobacterium infection. The same phage database and program we used in lab, HHMI Sea-Phages, was actually used to develop a phage cocktail for this patient’s treatment. This individual’s infection was from a relative of Mycobacterium, which is why the phage database was so useful in this scenario. Previously archived phage which had been tested against strains related to Mycobacterium could be pulled from the massive collection and combined to kill the patient’s bacterial infection. Two of the phage used in the cocktail had their genomes altered to make them more efficient at targeting and killing bacteria, but following twice daily intravenous treatments, the patient’s infection disappeared.
Results from this application of phage therapy emphasize its significance and promise as an innovative medical treatment. It is also inspiring to think that the work conducted in this lab contributes to furthering science as we know it.
Hi, Joe, thanks for your question! Yes, “novel” is intended to describe the phage as being unique and not previously discovered or characterized. For instance, not all phage discovered in our lab section behaved the same or yielded the same results as to whether it was lytic or temperate, the clusters of DNA it belonged to, morphological characteristics, etc. I think that this really speaks to how abundant phage are, as well as how exciting research and investigation regarding both their existence and various properties is to modern science and medicine.
Yes, my lab partner and I did name our phage Pitbull. Having a unique name that was not already in the antinobacteriophage database was a part of the criteria for archiving. The singer, Pitbull, and his various quotes provided inspiration and motivation when we had to repeat certain experiments without confidence in having usable data to progress our work. We especially liked his saying, “been there, done that,” when we repeated steps, but also reminded ourselves that “every day above ground is a great day.”
*If you are interested in reading more about unique phage and their discovery and characterization, feel free to visit PhagesDB.org.
Hi Amber! What is the significance of the name Pitbull? Did you guys give it that name?
Sorry about putting the wrong name! Getting my presentations mixed up.
Hi, Aubrey, thanks for your question! Yes, my lab partner and I did name our phage Pitbull. One of the criteria for archiving our phage was that we needed a unique name that was not already in the antinobacteriophage database. My lab partner and I were trying to think of various topics to name our phage after, such as our favorite celebrity, singer, song, etc., and one of Pitbull’s signature sayings, “Been there, done that” inspired us. It was especially motivating when we had to repeat various experiments following unsuccessful results. However, this lab was a great learning opportunity for how science works, in all its successes and failures.
*If you are interested in reading more about unique phage and their discovery and characterization, feel free to visit PhagesDB.org.
Hi Macy! What is the significance of the name Pitbull? Did you and your partner name it that?
Hi, great presentation! What is a restriction digest?
Hi, Anika, thanks for asking a question! A restriction digest cuts DNA sequence in specific regions according to the surrounding proteins. This process involves incubating a segment of DNA with restriction enzymes that are capable of recognizing, binding, and cutting specific nucleotides within, or outside, the region it can identify. This experiment was observed by gel electrophoresis with hopes of providing information as to what cluster Pitbull’s DNA belongs to.
Hi! Great job! Whats a restriction digest? I took phage but cannot remember.
Can you give an example about the specific application of phages that replace antibiotics?
Hi, Bing, thanks for asking a question! One case in which phage were successfully used as a therapy treatment was for a 15-year-old girl who suffered from a Mycobacterium infection. The same phage database and program we used in lab, HHMI Sea-Phages, was actually used to develop a phage cocktail for this patient’s treatment. This individual’s infection was from a relative of Mycobacterium, which is why the phage database was so useful in this scenario. Previously archived phage which had been tested against strains related to Mycobacterium could be pulled from the massive collection and combined to kill the patient’s bacterial infection. Two of the phage used in the cocktail had their genomes altered to make them more efficient at targeting and killing bacteria, but following twice daily intravenous treatments, the patient’s infection disappeared.
Results from this application of phage therapy emphasize its significance and promise as an innovative medical treatment. It is also inspiring to think that the work conducted in this lab contributes to furthering science as we know it.
I provided the link to the article in case you are interested in reading it in its entirety.
https://www.hhmi.org/news/phage-therapy-treats-patient-with-drug-resistant-bacterial-infection
Hi Macy. Does “novel” phage mean it has never been discovered before? If so, how do you know it is novel, and did you choose the name Pitbull?
Hi, Joe, thanks for your question! Yes, “novel” is intended to describe the phage as being unique and not previously discovered or characterized. For instance, not all phage discovered in our lab section behaved the same or yielded the same results as to whether it was lytic or temperate, the clusters of DNA it belonged to, morphological characteristics, etc. I think that this really speaks to how abundant phage are, as well as how exciting research and investigation regarding both their existence and various properties is to modern science and medicine.
Yes, my lab partner and I did name our phage Pitbull. Having a unique name that was not already in the antinobacteriophage database was a part of the criteria for archiving. The singer, Pitbull, and his various quotes provided inspiration and motivation when we had to repeat certain experiments without confidence in having usable data to progress our work. We especially liked his saying, “been there, done that,” when we repeated steps, but also reminded ourselves that “every day above ground is a great day.”
*If you are interested in reading more about unique phage and their discovery and characterization, feel free to visit PhagesDB.org.