A Continuous Culturing Device for use in Bacteriophage Evolution

用于噬菌体进化的连续培养装置

• 批准号: 2254676
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: UNIVERSITY OF EXETER
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Studentship
• 财政年份: 2019
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2019 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=studentship-2254676
• 关键词: Continuous; Culturing; Device; use; Bacteriophage

With approximately 10 viral particles for every marine microbe in surface water, viral infection of bacterial cells plays a significant role in driving population structure and, in turn, is a fundamental component of global carbon biogeochemistry. The vast majority of marine bacteria and their viruses are extremely small and dilute. The co-evolutionary consequences thereof are poorly understood. For example, it was thought until recently that the size of ultra-small bacteria such as the ubiquitous Pelagibacter spp. enabled avoidance of viral infection through 'cryptic escape'. Yet, in 2013, this idea was proved false by the discovery of viruses infecting Pelagibacter, which dominate global oceans.This project will investigate the coevolution of host and virus and how they are shaped by the biological and physical consequences of their sizes as well as by life in a marine environment.The aim of this project is to investigate the co-evolutionary consequences of host / virus size and complex encounter patterns due to fluid flow in the ocean. To achieve this goal, the student will compare co-evolution of Pelagibacter and its virus with co-evolution of a range of host and virus pairs with varying size. Co-evolutionary adaptations will be investigated using single-cell genomic analysis and atomic force microscopy to visualise genotypic and phenotypic changes (focusing on cell-membrane adaptations), respectively, within the environmental single cell genomics facility at Plymouth Marine Laboratory.In a second step, co-evolution experiments will be performed in a range of different fluidic environments. In particular, different scenarios of encounters of bacteria and virus in the ocean will be mimicked in the laboratory through the exquisite control of compartmentalised microfluidic environments. The theoretical considerations underlying this approach can be used to study the consequences of fluid flow on co-evolution theoretically if the student is interested.While the focus of the work will be on experimental co-evolution, the project can contain a varying amount of technology development and theory work. Following a period of initial training, the student will thus be encouraged to develop the project design together with the supervisors.

地表水中每种海洋微生物大约有10个病毒颗粒，细菌细胞的病毒感染在驱动种群结构方面发挥着重要作用，反过来也是全球碳生物地球化学的基本组成部分。绝大多数海洋细菌和它们的病毒都非常小和稀释。其共同进化的后果人们知之甚少。例如，直到最近，人们还认为超小细菌的大小，如无处不在的Pelagibacter spp。通过“隐蔽逃逸”避免病毒感染。然而，在2013年，这一想法被证明是错误的发现感染Pelagibacter病毒，这个项目将研究宿主和病毒的共同进化，以及它们的大小和海洋环境中的生命如何塑造它们的生物和物理后果。这个项目的目的是研究宿主/病毒的共同进化后果。由于海洋中的流体流动，病毒的大小和复杂的遭遇模式。为了实现这一目标，学生将比较Pelagibacter及其病毒的共同进化与一系列不同大小的宿主和病毒对的共同进化。在普利茅斯海洋实验室的环境单细胞基因组学设施中，将分别使用单细胞基因组分析和原子力显微镜来研究共进化适应性，以可视化基因型和表型变化（专注于细胞膜适应性）。第二步，将在一系列不同的流体环境中进行共进化实验。特别是，通过对分隔的微流体环境的精细控制，将在实验室中模拟细菌和病毒在海洋中相遇的不同场景。如果学生感兴趣，这种方法背后的理论考虑可以用来从理论上研究流体流动对共同进化的影响。虽然工作的重点是实验共同进化，但该项目可以包含不同数量的技术开发和理论工作。经过一段时间的初步培训，学生将被鼓励与主管一起开发项目设计。