2019 Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) Symposium
Presentation Type
Poster Presentation (UNI Access Only)
Keywords
Bacteriophages--Physiology; Bacteriophages--Size;
Abstract
Literature of the viruses specific to bacteria, or bacteriophages (phages), shows that there is a greater number of large, tailed bacteriophages (80-120 nm) than small phages. However, in working with soil, the opposite has appeared to be more representative. This brought to question whether the presence, as well as the absence, of a host in phage-increases affects the phage size-type distribution in the resulting phage population. To test this, three different samples were prepared: soil rinse (SR-buffer only), soil increase (SI-nutrient broth), and soil enrichment (SE-broth + host). Each sample was imaged by transmission electron microscopy, then images analyzed for phage number, diameter and shape with programs ImageJ and Matlab. Phage DNA was also examined by gel electrophoresis. SR and SE treatments showed consistently smaller phages (between 40-55 nm and 50-70 nm, respectively). SI’s wider phage diameter variance in comparison to SE and SR may suggest why large phages dominate literature. Diameters of soil phages are lower in this study. Phage increase and preparation methods as well as sample type may account for this discrepancy.
Start Date
2-8-2019 11:30 AM
End Date
2-8-2019 1:30 PM
Event Host
Summer Undergraduate Research Program, University of Northern Iowa
Faculty Advisor
Michael Walter
Department
Department of Biology
Copyright
©2019 Anissa Ferero and Michael Walter
File Format
application/pdf
Recommended Citation
Ferero, Annissa and Walter, Michael, "Does Preparation Method Affect Size-Type Distribution in Bacteriophage Population Images?" (2019). Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) Symposium. 2.
https://scholarworks.uni.edu/surp/2019/all/2
Does Preparation Method Affect Size-Type Distribution in Bacteriophage Population Images?
Literature of the viruses specific to bacteria, or bacteriophages (phages), shows that there is a greater number of large, tailed bacteriophages (80-120 nm) than small phages. However, in working with soil, the opposite has appeared to be more representative. This brought to question whether the presence, as well as the absence, of a host in phage-increases affects the phage size-type distribution in the resulting phage population. To test this, three different samples were prepared: soil rinse (SR-buffer only), soil increase (SI-nutrient broth), and soil enrichment (SE-broth + host). Each sample was imaged by transmission electron microscopy, then images analyzed for phage number, diameter and shape with programs ImageJ and Matlab. Phage DNA was also examined by gel electrophoresis. SR and SE treatments showed consistently smaller phages (between 40-55 nm and 50-70 nm, respectively). SI’s wider phage diameter variance in comparison to SE and SR may suggest why large phages dominate literature. Diameters of soil phages are lower in this study. Phage increase and preparation methods as well as sample type may account for this discrepancy.
