Presentation Type
Poster
Full Name of Faculty Mentor
Daniel Williams, Biology
Other Mentors
Michael Pierce, Biology
Major
Biochemistry
Presentation Abstract
Bacteriophages, or phages, are viruses that infect bacteria, and have one of the most vast and diverse global populations of all biological entities. Despite this immense population size, the roles, and functions of individual phage genes within their genome, are widely unknown. The first, and one of the most important steps, toward elucidating the function of a phage gene, is molecular cloning. Because gene expression is easily influenced by other genes, it is essential to isolate and clone each individual gene into a plasmid expression vector. Once a single gene insert is cloned into a plasmid, we can introduce the recombinant DNA into a bacterial host and purify it. Performing molecular cloning of a phage's entire genome results in a sort of library of purified plasmids, that is an extremely valuable tool, needed for further investigation and downstream purposes. In our research we used genes from the Mycobacterium smegmatis phage, Phayonce, cloned into the plasmid vector, pExTra, and introduced to into the host bacteria, Mycobacterium smegmatis mc2 155. This beginning process is essential because without it, we could not definitively determine any phage gene functions because our gene of interest's expression would likely change due to influences from outside factors, like expression and interactions of other genes.
Location
Poster Session 1
Start Date
12-4-2022 12:30 PM
End Date
12-4-2022 2:30 PM
Disciplines
Biology
Recommended Citation
Walsh, Kelly, "Molecular Cloning of Genes from the Bacteriophage, Phayonce" (2022). Undergraduate Research Competition. 79.
https://digitalcommons.coastal.edu/ugrc/2022/fullconference/79
Included in
Molecular Cloning of Genes from the Bacteriophage, Phayonce
Poster Session 1
Bacteriophages, or phages, are viruses that infect bacteria, and have one of the most vast and diverse global populations of all biological entities. Despite this immense population size, the roles, and functions of individual phage genes within their genome, are widely unknown. The first, and one of the most important steps, toward elucidating the function of a phage gene, is molecular cloning. Because gene expression is easily influenced by other genes, it is essential to isolate and clone each individual gene into a plasmid expression vector. Once a single gene insert is cloned into a plasmid, we can introduce the recombinant DNA into a bacterial host and purify it. Performing molecular cloning of a phage's entire genome results in a sort of library of purified plasmids, that is an extremely valuable tool, needed for further investigation and downstream purposes. In our research we used genes from the Mycobacterium smegmatis phage, Phayonce, cloned into the plasmid vector, pExTra, and introduced to into the host bacteria, Mycobacterium smegmatis mc2 155. This beginning process is essential because without it, we could not definitively determine any phage gene functions because our gene of interest's expression would likely change due to influences from outside factors, like expression and interactions of other genes.