Bioinformatics Commons^™

Zombies In Bacterial Genomes: Identification And Analysis Of Previously Virulent Phage, Scott Mitchell

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Bacteriophage (or ‘phage’) are viruses that infect and reproduce within their bacterial hosts. They have a major global impact on bacterial evolution and ecology, and might influence the pathogenicity of their host bacterium by providing virulence factors. Phage can either be described as “virulent” or “temperate”; the distinguishing feature between the two is their method of replication.

This study sought to identify phage sequences within bacterial host genomes and determine the life cycle of the phage, exploring whether there is a connection between defective phage and previously virulent phage. It would normally be expected that any phage sequences identified within …