Title of Presentation or Performance
The Discovery of Rhodobacter capsulatus Phage Kemmy through Isolation and Genomic Analysis
Submission Type
Art Exhibit
Area of Study or Work
Biology
Faculty Advisor
Richard Alvey
Expected Graduation Date
2022
Location
Center for Natural Sciences, Illinois Wesleyan University
Start Date
4-13-2019 9:00 AM
End Date
4-13-2019 10:00 AM
Disciplines
Education
Abstract
The SEA-PHAGES program introduces students to microbiology and bioinformatics through guided research. In addition students also learn about bacteriophages which are estimated to be one of the most diverse biological bodies. One of the bacterial hosts used in the laboratory was Rhodobacter capsulatus. In the fall of 2018, Kemmy was isolated from a water sample obtained in Roselle, Illinois. After isolation, Kemmy was purified and analyzed through transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to measure the tail length and capsid diameter, which were found to be 112 nm and 65 nm, respectively. In addition, phage DNA was extracted and sent to the University of Pittsburg to be sequenced. In the spring of 2019, the genome of Kemmy was annotated and the gene functions determined using programs such as PECANN and Phamerator. Through sequencing and annotation, Kemmy was determined to be a member of the RcC cluster of bacteriophages. At the end of this project, Kemmy will be submitted to GenBank, contributing to the ever expanding knowledge of bacteriophages.
The Discovery of Rhodobacter capsulatus Phage Kemmy through Isolation and Genomic Analysis
Center for Natural Sciences, Illinois Wesleyan University
The SEA-PHAGES program introduces students to microbiology and bioinformatics through guided research. In addition students also learn about bacteriophages which are estimated to be one of the most diverse biological bodies. One of the bacterial hosts used in the laboratory was Rhodobacter capsulatus. In the fall of 2018, Kemmy was isolated from a water sample obtained in Roselle, Illinois. After isolation, Kemmy was purified and analyzed through transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to measure the tail length and capsid diameter, which were found to be 112 nm and 65 nm, respectively. In addition, phage DNA was extracted and sent to the University of Pittsburg to be sequenced. In the spring of 2019, the genome of Kemmy was annotated and the gene functions determined using programs such as PECANN and Phamerator. Through sequencing and annotation, Kemmy was determined to be a member of the RcC cluster of bacteriophages. At the end of this project, Kemmy will be submitted to GenBank, contributing to the ever expanding knowledge of bacteriophages.