Discovery of Geographical Gene Variants in Related Pseudomonas aeruginosa Bacteriophages

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Keywords

antibiotic resistant bacterial strains, phage therapy, bacteriophages, bacteria

Abstract

Antibiotic resistant bacterial strains are a major crisis in the world due to the difficult nature of curing individuals afflicted with them. Phage therapy has been proposed as an alternate treatment for these bacterium. In Dr. Julianne Grose's lab, bacteriophages were against the bacteria, Pseudomonas aeruginosa. To isolate, environmental samples were utilized in enrichment cultures that were ultimately used in serial dilutions, plaque purification, electron microscopy, DNA isolation, sequencing, and genome annotation. The P. aeruginosa phage, TF17, infects a bacterial strain that is highly related to a strain that causes fatalities as an opportunistic infection in patients with cystic fibrosis. When antibiotics are not strong enough or the side effects are not worth the trouble, phage therapy can be the answer that cures these patients. TF17 is contributing to an international database of isolated and sequenced phages that are being used to treat people right now, and will continue to in the future. One day, it may save a life.

Document Type

Poster

Publication Date

2018-04-04

Language

English

College

Life Sciences

Discovery of Geographical Gene Variants in Related Pseudomonas aeruginosa Bacteriophages

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