Date Thesis Awarded
5-2023
Access Type
Honors Thesis -- Access Restricted On-Campus Only
Degree Name
Bachelors of Science (BS)
Department
Biology
Advisor
Margaret Saha
Committee Members
Shanta Hinton
Dana Lashley
Kurt Williamson
Abstract
Phages are viruses that infect bacteria. They are the most abundant particle in our biosphere. Mycobacteriophages that infect mycobacteria have important applications for human health and genetic engineering. This research describes the discovery of a novel phage particle called a phagelet that is similar to mycobacteriophages but lacks tail proteins and a lysin cassette. This phagelet infects Mycobacteria aichiense which contains the prophage HerbertWM. The presence of an additional phage in this system further makes this system unique and suggests that perhaps the phagelets are borrowing proteins from the existing prophage. I discuss the characteristics of a phagelet as well as discuss tools to analyze the function of these phaglets including the development of an RNA-Seq protocol and the creation of Golden Gate Fragments. This research contributes to increasing our understanding of mycobacteriophage genetics.
Recommended Citation
Roman, Anne, "Characterizing a Novel Phage Particle: The Phagelet" (2023). Undergraduate Honors Theses. William & Mary. Paper 1968.
https://scholarworks.wm.edu/honorstheses/1968
