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Summary Sentence: "Phage-induced Lysis of Bacteria: Therapeutic Potential and Ecological Impacts" - Joshua Weitz, PhD - Associate Professor, School of Biology
Full Summary: The IBB Breakfast Club seminar series was started with the spirit of the Institute's interdisciplinary mission in mind and started to feature local IBB faculty member's research in a seminar format. Faculty are often asked to speak at other universities and conferences, but rarely present at their home institution, this seminar series is an attempt to close that gap. The IBB Breakfast Club is open to anyone in the bio-community.
Breakfast Club Seminar Series"Phage-induced Lysis of Bacteria: Therapeutic Potential and Ecological Impacts"
Joshua Weitz, PhD
Associate Professor
School of Biology
Viruses of bacteria, i.e., phages, are the most abundant life-forms on Earth. Phages infect host cells, redirect host machinery to replicate viral components, and eventually lyse their host cells thereby releasing new viral progeny. In this talk, I describe new discoveries related to the specific targeting of hosts by viruses. First, I will describe a novel biophysical theory of enzymatic lysis of bacteria caused by lytic enzymes, including highly specific phage lytic enzymes. The theory predicts the size tolerance of bacteria to holes created in their cell walls, suggesting new avenues for therapeutic treatment of Gram-positive pathogens. Next, I will report on efforts to characterize which phages infect and kill which bacteria in the environment. In revealing complex webs of infection and exploitation, I will also show first steps toward predicting the relative importance of viruses in modifying the flux of carbon and nutrients in the environment.
