Keeley Choy Bacteriophage

What is Bacteriophage? A virus that infects and replicates within bacteria. Phages. One of the most common and diverse entities in biosphere. Come in different shapes, but most with capsid and tail Caudovirales: 95%

Replication Lytic Cycle Lysogenic Cycle Brings about death of bacterial cell Viral DNA takes over host cell functioning to produce its own DNA and proteins Viral mRNA translated to produce coat and tails Lysogenic Cycle Temperate Infection Viral DNA integrates with bacterial chromosome Replicates during normal cell division

Phage Therapy Therapeutic use of lytic bacteriophages to treat pathogenic bacterial infections Alternative to antibiotics Target specific Harmless to host cell and other bacteria Easy to develop new ones against resistence Few side effects Can treat salmonella Only approved in Russia and Georgia

Other Roles Bacteriophage contamination in Fermentation Bacteriophage T4 infects E. Coli Bacteriophage causes toxic Cholera strains