Matching Items (4)
Description
Phage therapy has been around for more than a century, but has regained interest in the field of medicine and holds significant potential to act as a treatment against a deadly bacterial infection in various cactus species. It was discovered that bacteriophages isolated from soil samples of potato plants were able to suppress Pectobacterium carotovorum, ‘Pectobacterium’ being within the family Pectobacteriaceae which contains the ‘Erwinia’ genus that causes soft rot diseases in various plants (Jones, 2012). The two scientists had co-inoculated “... the phage with the phytobacterium” (Jones, 2012) in order to suppress the growth and prevent the infection from occurring.
ContributorsFry, Danielle Elizabeth (Author) / Geiler-Samerotte, Kerry (Thesis director) / Pfeifer, Susanne (Committee member) / Varsani, Arvind (Committee member) / College of Health Solutions (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
Description
CrAssphages are a type of bacteriophage, a virus that infects bacteria and reproduces within them. They are thought to infect one of the most prevalent bacteria in the human gut microbiome, Bacteroides (Dutilh et al., 2014). CrAssphages are suspected to be in 73-77% of humans (Siranosian et al., 2020), however little is known about the effects they might have on the gut microbiome or the host organism’s digestion, metabolism, nutrition, or host immune function and disease states (Shreiner et al., 2015). CrAssphages were recently identified in gelada fecal samples from infants and adults. This study analyzed variables surrounding crAssphage presence in fecal samples collected throughout infant development and from adults and analyzed the presence of six crAssphages that were genetically similar to the proto-crAssphage originally discovered in humans (Dutilh et al., 2014). It was determined that recent rainfall has a significant effect on crAssphage presence. Additionally, recent rainfall and gelada sex have significant effects on the likelihood of infection by multiple crAssphages at once. The six crAssphages analyzed all peaked in presence between 10-20 months of age, while Bacteroides presence decreases at ~10 months (Baniel et al., 2022). It remains unsure if Bacteroides are the true host of crAssphages, or if there are other possible hosts.
ContributorsMoya, Isabella (Author) / Snyder-Mackler, Noah (Thesis director) / Schneider-Crease, India (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor)
Created2023-12
Description
Bacteriophages are the most numerous type of organisms in the world. These viruses have the ability to destroy bacteria that they specifically match. Phage therapy shows great promise to become a solution to bacterial infections and antibiotic resistance. To ensure that younger generations are aware of this field of research, we created a website to educate them. The website contains lessons and a game that will encourage confidence, curiosity, and understanding of bacteriophages.
ContributorsKowal, Maria (Author) / Pfiefer, Susanne (Thesis director) / Versoza, Cyril (Committee member) / Milhaven, Mark (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation (Contributor)
Created2023-05
Description
Little is known about the diversity and role of bacteriophages in carbon (C) rich ecosystems such as peatlands in tropical and temperate regions. In fact, there is no currently published assessment of phage abundance on diversity in a key tropical ecosystem such as Amazon peatlands. To better understand phage assemblages in terrestrial ecosystems and how bacteriophages influence organic C cycling to final products like CO2 and CH4, phage communities and phage-like particles were recovered, quantified, and viable phage particles were enriched from pore water from contrasting Amazon peatlands. Here we present the first results on assessing Amazon bacteriophages on native heterotrophic bacteria. Several steps to test for methodological suitability were taken. First, the efficiency of iron flocculation method was determined using fluorescent microscopy counts of phage TLS, a TolC-specific and LPS-specific bacteriophage, and Escherichia coli host pre- and post-extraction method. One-hundred percent efficiency and 0.15% infectivity was evidenced. Infectivity effects were determined by calculating plaque forming units pre and post extraction method. After testing these methods, fieldwork in the Amazon peatlands ensued, where phages were enriched from pore water samples. Phages were extracted and concentrated by in tandem filtering rounds to remove organic matter and bacteria, and then iron flocculation to bind the phages and allow for precipitation onto a filter. Phage concentrates were then used for overall counts, with fluorescent microscopy, as well as phage isolation attempts. Phage isolations were performed by first testing for lysis of host cells in liquid media using OD600 absorbance of cultures with and without phage concentrate as well as attempts with the cross-streaking methods. Forty-five heterotrophic bacterial isolates obtained from the same Amazon peatland were challenged with phage concentrates. Once a putative host was found, steps were taken to further propagate and isolate the phage. Several putative phages were enriched from Amazon peatland pore water and require further characterization. TEM imaging was taken of two phages isolated from two plaques. Genomes of selected phages will be sequenced for identification. These results provide the groundwork for further characterizing the role bacteriophage play in C cycling and greenhouse gas production from Amazon peatland soils.
ContributorsSpring, Jessica Lynette (Author) / Cadillo-Quiroz, Hinsby (Thesis director) / Haydel, Shelley (Committee member) / Misra, Rajeev (Committee member) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05