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Loyola University Chicago

Master's Theses

Bacteriophage

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Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Prophages And Engineered Temperate Phages, Genevieve Johnson Jan 2021

Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Prophages And Engineered Temperate Phages, Genevieve Johnson

Master's Theses

The rising rate of antibiotic-resistant bacteria is a global health concern, and the Pseudomonas aeruginosa is estimated to be a leader in serious threats. Bacteriophages, or viruses that infect bacteria, have gained renewed interest in Western Medicine as an alternative to antibiotics. Phage therapy of P. aeruginosa infections has primarily focused on obligately lytic phages. However, prophages, or phages in the lysogenic life cycle, are estimated to far outnumber obligately lytic phages. In theory, these prophages can be genetically modified to be obligately lytic and thus ideal candidates for phage therapy. To date there has not been a comprehensive analysis …


Lactobacillus Metabolite-Mediated Induction Of Bacteriophage, Taylor Miller-Ensminger Jan 2021

Lactobacillus Metabolite-Mediated Induction Of Bacteriophage, Taylor Miller-Ensminger

Master's Theses

Once considered sterile in the absence of an infection, the female urinary tract is home to a diverse community (microbiota) of bacterial species and bacteriophage (phage), viruses that infect bacteria A dominant member of the female urinary microbiota is the bacterial genus Lactobacillus. Several Lactobacillus species are even associated with urinary health. Phage infectious of bacteria in the urinary tract tend to replicate through one of two life cycles: the lytic (active) life cycle or the lysogenic (dormant) life cycle. Temperate phage can switch from the lysogenic life cycle to the lytic life cycle in the presence of an environmental …


The Effects Of Treating Multispecies Biofilms With Bacteriophage, Alexandria Francis Cooper Jan 2017

The Effects Of Treating Multispecies Biofilms With Bacteriophage, Alexandria Francis Cooper

Master's Theses

Biofilms can be found in any environment within proximity to water and are problematic in an assortment of industries. Numerous efforts have been employed to dislodge biofilms including bacteriophages (viruses that infect bacteria). Phage remediation is a promising solution for combatting biofilms that form on catheters in long term use patients. These biofilms often result in catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) and are the most common type of healthcare related infection reported. Additionally, they result in longer hospital stays and increased morbidity. To date, most of the research on the topic focuses on single species biofilms, despite their rarity in …


Experimental Evolution Of Specialism In A Wild Virus, Alexander Kula Jan 2015

Experimental Evolution Of Specialism In A Wild Virus, Alexander Kula

Master's Theses

A pathogen's ability to successfully replicate and persist within a new host population is fraught with obstacles. While an expanded host-range allows for a greater chance at successful replication, such generalists are typically outcompeted by species which have specialized and adapted host-specific features. Although the most ubiquitous species on earth, very few bacteria-infecting viral species (bacteriophages) with truly broad host-ranges have been identified; this is partially due to the fact that only a small fraction of bacteria (and thus likely hosts) are amenable to laboratory conditions. Nevertheless, the processes of expanding as well as narrowing host-range are not well understood …