Celebration of Scholars
Cobra Found in the Pike River: A Cluster B1 Mycobacteriophage
Name:
Benjamin Boren
Major: Biology and Neuroscience
Hometown: Milwaukee, WI
Faculty Sponsor: Deborah Tobiason
Other Sponsors:
Type of research: Course project
Funding: Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Name:
Emily Gulbrandsen
Major: Biology
Hometown: Wittenberg, WI
Faculty Sponsor: Deborah Tobiason
Other Sponsors:
Type of research: Course project
Funding: Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Name:
Stefanie Huttelmaier
Major: Environmental Science and Biology
Hometown: Kenosha, WI
Faculty Sponsor: Deborah Tobiason
Other Sponsors:
Type of research: Course project
Funding: Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Name:
Rehnaz Jiwani
Major: Biology and Chemistry
Hometown: Kenosha, WI
Faculty Sponsor: Deborah Tobiason
Other Sponsors:
Type of research: Course project
Funding: Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Name:
Robert Miner
Major: Biology
Hometown: Highland, CA
Faculty Sponsor: Deborah Tobiason
Other Sponsors:
Type of research: Course project
Funding: Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Name:
Tanisha Perlmutter
Major: Biology and Chemistry
Hometown: Detroit Lakes, MN
Faculty Sponsor: Deborah Tobiason
Other Sponsors:
Type of research: Course project
Funding: Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Name:
Perrin Schupbach
Major: Biology
Hometown: Algonquin, IL
Faculty Sponsor: Deborah Tobiason
Other Sponsors:
Type of research: Course project
Funding: Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Abstract
Bacteriophages are viruses that infect and kill bacterial host cells by utilizing the host’s cellular machinery in order to replicate themselves. Each phage is highly specific to a certain genus or species of bacteria. Mycobacteriophages are viruses that specifically target Mycobacteria such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium smegmatis. The work that was conducted over the course of this year included isolating novel phages from the environment and analyzing their characteristics and morphology by using isolation techniques, electron microscopy, and restriction digests. The isolation process resulted in the discovery of six novel, siphoviridae mycobacteriophages. From this group, Cobra, a B1 cluster mycobacteriophage was originally isolated from the Pike River, which is significant as the majority of mycobacteriophages discovered have been found in soil samples. Cobra was then selected for further study and annotation using various bioinformatic software: DNA Master, HHpred, BLASTp, and Phamerator. Further bioinformatic analysis of Cobra’s genome is ongoing to determine relationships with other mycobacteriophage. Each annotated genome gives us insight into the evolution of bacteriophage and the effects it can have on bacteriophage virulence, host specificity, lifestyle, and overall behavior. These insights can help us glean information about the workings of many bacteriophages that can potentially lead to treatments for antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections.Submit date: March 13, 2015, 12:26 p.m.