Research: Understanding the interactions between mobile genetic elements
Providing fresh insights into virus-driven bacterial evolution.
Summary
Research summary
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March 2021 to March 2022
This research will examine how extrachromosomal DNA molecules (plasmids) within a bacterium can provide resistance to viruses.
Previous research has found limited evidence that plasmids can alter the ability of a virus to infect bacteria.
Plasmids that confer resistance to bacterial viruses are highly beneficial and could contain antimicrobial resistance genes.
This fundamental research is vital in understanding how we can use bacterial viruses to safely control populations of bacteria, for example in “phage therapy”.
Researchers will use transcriptomic analysis of bacteria-virus interactions, with and without plasmids, to identify the biochemical mechanisms of resistance.
This project is an exciting investigation into mechanisms of microbial interactions which is the focus of Dr Rivett’s previous work.
Viruses origins and evolution
Viruses originated during the Precambrian era (over 542 million years ago), far longer than humans, or even animals, have been on Earth.
At this time, bacteria were the only viral host. Viruses and bacteria have co-evolved and are caught in an evolutionary arms race.
To speed up evolution, bacteria are able to transfer genetic information to other bacteria that are not their offspring in a process called horizontal gene transfer.
Research output
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Academic papers, reports and other research outputs will be linked from here when they are published.
Team
Research team
Lead researcher
Co-researchers
Funding
With funding from
The Royal Society
Contact
Contact us
For general enquiries about our Environmental and Applied Microbiology research group, you can contact its lead Dr Andrew Dean.
