Aida Vargas de Jesus

Danilo Trinidad Pérez Rivera

Lizbeth Perez Castro

Javier M. Zavala Ayahttp://corvusart.com/

RISE ProgramDepartment of BiologyProf. Eneida Díaz PérezProf. Michael Rubin

Present the bacteriophages of interest.

Establish adequate hunting strategies.

Explain the processes carried out for preparing the phages after localization.

Demonstrate growth acquired from the project so far.

Bacteriophages, informally known as “phages”, are viruses capable of infecting a bacteriumand replicating inside of it.

These are typically composed of proteins whichencapsulate their DNA or RNA genome.

www.theepochtimes.comwww.shapeways.com

Phages consist of 3 basic components:

Capsid-contains the genetic material

Genetic material- DNA

Tail-serves to attach to bacteria and DNA passes through tail and into bacterium

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bacteriophage

Temperate-Lysogenic:

Replicate and lyse or dormant state- incorporate its genetic material into DNA of host.

Virulent-Lytic:

Straightforward cycle by lysing all bacteria they infect.

http://biomedfrontiers.org/infection-2014-3-28/

Due to their specific nature, many phages can shed light not only on viruses, but also on theirhost.

Moreover, identification of “wild species” can reveal how the given type of phage is“evolving”.

Understanding these two things istranscendental to medical applications.

http://www.genomeindia.org/mycobacterium/http://www.fallingpixel.com/bacillus-bacteria-3d-model/142

M. smegmatis B. cereus

Questions Can new phages be found in the environment in

Puerto Rico?

What environments should be inspected to obtain a phage?

Hypotheses New phages are widespread throught most

ecosystems, therefore, there should be phages in Puerto Rico.

The probability of finding a phage in a givenenvironment depends on if it is adecuate for thephages host.

httpwww.teachthechildrenwell.comscience.html

http://www.exportersindia.com/swastikaelectric/products.htm

http://quizlet.com/6760545/lab-3-streak-plate-technique-flash-cards/

Soil

EnrichmentFiltration

Purification

HTPLTen Plate Preparation

Sample CoordinatesEnvironmental description Location Date

DTP - #118° 04’46.08”N; 66° 21’47.29”W

Dry; Superficial (1 cm); 20.6°C Coamo, PR

Feb/06/145:45 AM

DTP - #218° 02’11.57”N; 66° 22’22.25”W

Moist; Superficial (1 cm); 21.7°C

Los Baños de Coamo

Feb/19/146:36 AM

DTP - #318° 07’12.19”N; 66° 09’26.60”W

Mud-like; Superficial (3 cm); 21.7°C Cayey, PR

Mar/06/149:52 AM

Sample Coordinates Description Location Date

DTP - #418° 07’12.75”N; 66° 09’26.89”W

Moist soil; Superficial (1 cm); 17.8°C Cayey, PR

Mar/18/149:13 AM

DTP - #518° 07'5.430" N;66° 09'42.58" W

Moist soil; Superficial (1 cm); 17.8°C Cayey, PR

Mar/18/149:24 AM

DTP - #618° 07’12.19”N; 66° 09’26.60”W

Mud-like consistency; Superficial (3 cm); 18.3°C Cayey, PR

Mar/18/149:43 AM

Sample Coordinates Description Location Date:Time

AV - #1 18°4’27” N; 66.11’56” W

Moist; Superficial sample (1cm); 24°C

Cayey, PR

Feb/2/143:56PM

AV - #2 18°28’4” N; 66°19’52” W

Very moist, sample of dirt underneath clover leaves (1cm); 30°C

Dorado, PR

Mar/2/143:05 PM

AV - #3 18°7’30” N; 66°15’48” W

Normal moisture (underneath grass), 1cm;23°C

Aibonito, PR

Mar/9/1411:07 AM

AV - #4 18°7’14”N;66°16’22”W

Dry (underneath dried leaves; chicken nesting area), 1cm; 23°C

Aibonito, PR

Mar/9/1411:36 AM

Sample Coordinates Description Location Date:Time

AV - #5 18°4’19”N;66°12’20”W

Some moisture, 1cm; 27°C

Cayey, PR Mar/16/144:19PM

AV - #6 18°4’29”N;66°11’56”W

Moist (underneath grass and dried feces), (1cm) 27°C

Cayey, PR Mar/16/144:45PM

AV - #7 18° 4’31”N;66°11’51”W

Wet (mud) Superficial (1cm); 27°C

Cayey, PR Mar/16/146:24PM

Sample Coordinates Description Location Date:Time

LP - #1 18º 16’ 16’ N, 65º 58’ 10’ W

Loose, and moist Gurabo,PR

Feb/3/147:34 AM

LP - #2 18º 6’ 58’ N, 66º 9’ 19’ W

Moist and Chunky Cayey, PR

Feb/17/2014

8:20 AM

LP - #3 18º 16’ 7’ N, 65º 58’ 32’ W

Loose, and moist next to cow feces

Gurabo,PR

Feb/24/2014

8:05 AM

http://faculty.plattsburgh.edu/donald.slish/lambdatitre.html

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 101 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

1 – Marker 2 – Cacimar 3 – Incognito 4 – Isinaayusferti 5 – Nitidusvenutus6 – Serotinus 7 – Wilsonn 8 – Figaro 9 – Gêmeos

Understanding and characterizingbacteriophages provides plenty of usefulinformation.

Puerto Rico has an ample amount of uncharacterized phages in its soil.

One should search for phages where their host could possibly found.

Describe the structure of these phages utilizing Electron Microscopy.

Sequence and annotate the genetic material of these phages.

Losing is winning.

Practice makes perfect.

Friends make it a lot easier.

Patience is a virtue.

Quitters never win.

The RISE program for opening the door for us to such a great opportunity.

Dr. Rubin for volunteering to give us such a full and enriched experience.

Nicolle Rosa and Juan Apiz for ther help as our assigned TA.

Gustavo and Giovanni for always being there to help.

The cafeteria for the free “sample collectors”.

Our moms for the Ziplock bags.

Aida Vargas de Jesus

Danilo Trinidad Pérez Rivera

Lizbeth Perez Castro

Javier M. Zavala Ayahttp://corvusart.com/

RISE ProgramDepartment of BiologyProf. Eneida Díaz PérezProf. Michael Rubin