Biodiversity of Bacteriophage With the Host Microbacterium foliorum on the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy
Session Number
Project ID: BIO 16
Advisor(s)
Dr. Crystal Randall; Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy
Discipline
Biology
Start Date
22-4-2020 9:45 AM
End Date
22-4-2020 10:00 AM
Abstract
The SEA-PHAGES program began in 2008 with the goal of isolating bacteriophage samples that infect certain host bacteria from the environment. New developments in phage research have found that using phage to target disease causing bacteria may be a legitimate way to treat diseases. Our research group selected four different host bacteria suggested by the SEA-PHAGES program and followed the collection, isolation, amplification, and purification processes provided by the SEA-PHAGES guide. Our study focused on identifying phage that infected the host bacteria Microbacterium foliorum on the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy. We collected soil samples from the academy campus throughout the school year. We used two different isolation techniques outlined by the SEA-PHAGES program, indirect and enriched, to isolate phage samples. Our results were inconclusive. No phage was able to be isolated with our host bacteria. However, other groups testing that other host bacteria were able to isolate phage, but were unable to replicate it. These findings suggest that further testing must be done. Doing testing when there is a more suitable climate may increase the chance of finding phage. It may also be more practical to switch host bacteria to those that were successful in finding phage.
Biodiversity of Bacteriophage With the Host Microbacterium foliorum on the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy
The SEA-PHAGES program began in 2008 with the goal of isolating bacteriophage samples that infect certain host bacteria from the environment. New developments in phage research have found that using phage to target disease causing bacteria may be a legitimate way to treat diseases. Our research group selected four different host bacteria suggested by the SEA-PHAGES program and followed the collection, isolation, amplification, and purification processes provided by the SEA-PHAGES guide. Our study focused on identifying phage that infected the host bacteria Microbacterium foliorum on the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy. We collected soil samples from the academy campus throughout the school year. We used two different isolation techniques outlined by the SEA-PHAGES program, indirect and enriched, to isolate phage samples. Our results were inconclusive. No phage was able to be isolated with our host bacteria. However, other groups testing that other host bacteria were able to isolate phage, but were unable to replicate it. These findings suggest that further testing must be done. Doing testing when there is a more suitable climate may increase the chance of finding phage. It may also be more practical to switch host bacteria to those that were successful in finding phage.