| Affiliations: | |
| Project Leader: | Rachele Bonasera kbnsr@tamu.edu Biochemistry |
| Faculty Mentor: | Ryland Young, Ph.D. |
|
Meeting Times:
|
Summer 2016 (complete) |
|
Team Size:
|
4 (Team Full) |
| Open Spots: | 0 |
|
Special Opportunities:
|
In addition to exploring the exciting field of bacteriophage and gaining Aggie Research Scholar credentials, students who successfully complete the summer term will be eligible to become part of the Center for Phage Technology in the following Fall and Spring semesters. Program may be completed for credit, if so enrolled. |
|
Team Needs:
|
In order to be part of this team, you must complete Biosafety Level 2 training and be compliant with all safety guidelines. For the summer, a minimum of 12 hours/week is expected from all students. Basic understanding of microbiology technique is preferred but not required. |
|
Description:
|
Bacteriophages (“ phages”) are the viruses of bacteria. In the early 20th century, phages were used for antibacterial therapy, before small molecule antibiotics became available in quantity in the 1940s. Now that antibiotic-resistant bacteria are beginning to dominate the clinic, phages are now being reconsidered as therapeutics. One major challenge is that, in general, phages tend to be highly specific. That is, a phage that attacks a particular species of bacterium may only infect certain strains of that species. To be useful as antibacterial agents, phages need to be available in collections that are diverse in terms of host range. The Center for Phage Technology (CPT) at Texas A&M is the only non-profit state-supported institution for translational phage research in the country. One of the CPT goals is to assemble libraries of phages against important bacterial pathogens. The objective of the RICU team being assembled is to be a part of this effort by collecting various environmental samples in search of phages that combat bacteria such as Corynebacterium jeikeium and Acinetobacter baumanii. Both these multi-drug resistant pathogens are infamous for infecting the immunocompromised and often lead to death. Once a phage is isolated, the main purpose of the project can begin, sequencing and annotating phage DNA. The newly acquired information can then be added to the growing phage ontologies. |