Week 8: Phages(bacteriophages)

What are phages? Phage biology is the scientific discipline concerned with the study of all biological aspects of bacteriophages (phages), which are viruses that infect bacteria. This includes the distribution, biochemistry, physiology, cell biology, ecology, evolution and applications of phages. In my first year i did an investigation about these theme. I was selected in a group of special students to work with this investigation.  For me this opportunity was very important and interesting. Was like my first year and i was doing a investigation. This investigation was associate with HHMI ( Howard Hudge Medical Instutute) that they are like the bosses and we have to find an study a bacteriophage and then we will give it to theme and they sequence it. But for now i only going to talk in general about bacteriophages then i will talk you about my investigation experience. In the image we can see that are metioned the parts of the bacteriophage. In summary in the head of a bacteriphage we find the DNA (genome). They have a neck,collar, sheath and tail fiber. But let see the base place, this part its very important because with it the bacteriophage  attach in the bacteria to infect it.


Bacteriophages are the most numerous viruses on earth, and viruses are more common than bacteria, the most numerous of cellular organism. Specifically, bacteriophages are the viruses of bacteria, that is, they aresequences of genes which move around from bacterium to bacterium while encased within protein shells called capsids, often killing bacteria in the process. Bacteriophages are hugely important to the ecology and evolution of bacteria, have enormous impacts on the global carbon cycle (which among other things controls whether climates globally warm), represent one promising means by which medicine's current antibiotic crisis – think MRSA – may be overcome. Phages also contributed greatly to biology'sunderstanding of life in general and especially at the molecular level. They in addition were key to the development of genetic engineering. In short, phages are perhaps the biological world's least appreciated superstars. 


Definition and somethings about bacteriophages retrieved from: Dr. Michael Rubin, Power Point presentation.

Image retrieved from: www.google.com