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Saturday May 16, 2020
AUTHORS:
Makenna Doramus
and Patrick Mark
FACULTY: Dr. Ann Koga
DEPARTMENT: Biology
Bacteriophages are viruses that infect a bacterial host. There are more bacteriophages than any organism in the global ecosystem. Bacteriophages have an undiscovered amount of genetic diversity because of their massive population. Studying this untapped potential will provide more insight into genetics and specific genes. A soil sample was collected, and a bacteriophage was filtered. Then, DNA was extracted and sent in for sequencing. Once sequenced, it was compared to the sequences of other phage genomes. The location of genes in the sequence was determined by using computer programs. These web-based programs were also used to determine the function of the genes in the Orcanus genome. Orcanus is a siphoviridae, temperate phage in the AS cluster and AS1 sub cluster. The gene that codes for tyrosine integrase was present. This supports the idea that Orcanus was a temperate phage, meaning that the phage can integrate with the host's genome. Through the analysis of the genetic sequence, new genes with unknown functions were observed as well as previously documented genes. The research on the specific genes of Orcanus broadened the database and understanding for bacteriophage genetics that could be used for future research in medicine and genetics.
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