Phages rely on a tightly scheduled program for a successful infection. After entering a bacterial host cell, phages use the host cell machinery to produce new phage virions and lyse the cell to release these virions.
The timing of lysis shows little variation as it must allow enough time to produce new virions but also minimize the time until infection of other bacterial cells. Hence the production of lysis proteins is likely to be tightly regulated. Research this diversity and function of lysis protein regulation at The University of Manchester.
Using bioinformatics and phylogenetic analyses to investigate the diversity and relatedness of regulatory structures controlling the lysis of E. coli and P. aeruginosa phages. These regulatory structures consist of short DNA sequences (promoters) and proteins that bind to those promoters (transcription factors). Once these structures are identified, DNA microarrays and synthetic constructs are used to study the strength and dynamics of promoter–transcription factor interactions using population and single-cell measurements. Based on this experimental data, build a biophysical model of lysis protein regulation and predict how different regulatory structures affect the ability of phages to kill bacterial cells.
This project will provide multidisciplinary training in synthetic engineering (e.g. molecular cloning), experimental microbiology (e.g. phage and bacteria handling), bioimaging techniques (e.g. single-cell microscopy), ecology and evolution (e.g. phage-bacteria population dynamics) and mathematical modeling.
The researcher will be integrated into MERMan, the UK’s largest cluster of microbial evolution research groups, providing a supportive and stimulating research environment.
Apply here https://www.bmh.manchester.ac.uk/study/research/apply/
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