Marine Miracle: Addition of DsMickey to the Marine Bacteriophage Library
Major
Biology
Submission Type
Poster
Area of Study or Work
Biology
Faculty Advisor
Richard Alvey
Location
CNS Atrium
Start Date
4-11-2026 11:15 AM
End Date
4-11-2026 12:30 PM
Abstract
Bacteriophages, viruses that infect bacteria, are the most abundant biological force on the planet. They serve critical functions in managing bacterial populations, influencing their evolution, and can also play potential therapeutic roles, as their specific host range can allow for combating bacterial infections. Bacteriophages infecting freshwater bacterial hosts have been studied extensively; however, there is still little known about bacteriophages that target marine bacterial hosts. Illinois Wesleyan University has constructed a diverse collection of bacteriophages that infect the freshwater host, Rhodobacter capsulatus and has gained insight into the genomic makeup of these phages. Recent research has focused on expanding that library to include phages that infect the marine Roseobacter clade, including Dinoroseobacter shibae, Phaeobacter inhibens, and Ruegeria pomeroyi. This year, DsMickey is a new marine phage added to the small collection of fifteen existing marine phages grouped into six clusters and two singletons. In the Illinois Wesleyan library, this is only the third D. shibae phage. Through discovery, isolation, amplification, DNA extraction, and genome analysis, this research aims to compare/contrast the genomes of marine phages with those of freshwater phages in hopes of better understanding the evolutionary relationship between them and their methods of infection. The goal is to contribute to the understanding of the diversity of bacteriophages and the adaptations necessary for bacteriophages to survive in different aquatic environments.
Marine Miracle: Addition of DsMickey to the Marine Bacteriophage Library
CNS Atrium
Bacteriophages, viruses that infect bacteria, are the most abundant biological force on the planet. They serve critical functions in managing bacterial populations, influencing their evolution, and can also play potential therapeutic roles, as their specific host range can allow for combating bacterial infections. Bacteriophages infecting freshwater bacterial hosts have been studied extensively; however, there is still little known about bacteriophages that target marine bacterial hosts. Illinois Wesleyan University has constructed a diverse collection of bacteriophages that infect the freshwater host, Rhodobacter capsulatus and has gained insight into the genomic makeup of these phages. Recent research has focused on expanding that library to include phages that infect the marine Roseobacter clade, including Dinoroseobacter shibae, Phaeobacter inhibens, and Ruegeria pomeroyi. This year, DsMickey is a new marine phage added to the small collection of fifteen existing marine phages grouped into six clusters and two singletons. In the Illinois Wesleyan library, this is only the third D. shibae phage. Through discovery, isolation, amplification, DNA extraction, and genome analysis, this research aims to compare/contrast the genomes of marine phages with those of freshwater phages in hopes of better understanding the evolutionary relationship between them and their methods of infection. The goal is to contribute to the understanding of the diversity of bacteriophages and the adaptations necessary for bacteriophages to survive in different aquatic environments.