|
|
||||||
|
Isolation, Amplification, Molecular and Biochemical Characterization of Mycobacteriophage Macayla Abstract Bacteriophages (viruses that infect bacteria) are the most abundant organisms in the biosphere. Mycobacteriophages are phages that infect bacteria of the genus Mycobacterium. Mycobacteriophages are found in soil samples throughout the planet. At this time, only a few dozen mycobacteriophages’ genomes have been fully sequenced. None of these phages have the same genetic sequence. This suggests a great amount of diversity from billions of years of viral evolution and recombination in horizontal exchange. The extent of phage genomic diversity is of great interest and could shed light on the diversity of the phage population as a whole. Phages could play a larger role in human diseases than previously recognized. The study of mycobacteriophages could allow biologists and immunologists to make great advances in mycobacterial genetics and pathogenicity of organisms such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis that cause human disease. Testing soil samples throughout Montana to identify previously unknown viruses and to characterize the newly discovered mycobacteriophages for properties and genes could be beneficial to the medical world in the fight against infectious diseases. Mycobacteriophage “Macayla” was isolated on March 2, 2006. “Macayla” was discovered by a fourth grader who participated in one of many Outreach programs that are run at Montana Tech. Mycobacteriophage “Macayla” was purified; this procedure is done to isolate a pure phage stock. This is done to prepare for the DNA sequence to be determined. This presentation summarizes the procedure to which “Macayla” was isolated and purified. It concludes to show future steps and tasks to be made to find the DNA sequence of Mycobacteriophage “Macayla” and use it to compare to the entire DNA database to find matches in the genomic sequence. Biography
|
|||||||
|
|
