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Bacteriophages as Generalised Synthetic DNA Delivery Vehicles
Bacteriophages are specialised nanomachines, delivering DNA payloads to specific types of bacteria via distinct interconnected parts. These parts are exchangeable: Any phage could be re-targeted to deliver DNA to any desired bacterial cell type. Although normally delivering instructions to copy itself, phages can be directed to deliver any genetic circuit to a bacterium. Artificial circuits could reprogram a cell’s repertoire with applications in microbial control, microbiome enhancement, or bioremediation. Following a previous LIDo DTP studentship, this project seeks to build on successes in phage nanomachine customisation, and extend novel payload concepts. We also seek to explore firewalling via cell-free approaches.
Disciplines and Techniques
Project supervisor/s
Dr. Renos Savva
Renos is interested in viruses of eukaryotes and prokaryotes.
Birkbeck University of London
Professor John M Ward
John is interested in microbial molecular biology,
University College London
References
Extending the Host Range of Bacteriophage Particles for DNA Transduction
Mol Cell., 66(5): 721-728
2017
Engineering Modular Viral Scaffolds for Targeted Bacterial Population Editing
Cell Systems, 1(3): 187-196
2015
In Vitro Assembly of Infectious Virions of Double-Stranded DNA Phage Phi29 from Cloned Gene Products and Synthetic Nucleic Acids
J. Virol., 69(8), 5018-5023
1995
Molecular Characterisation of Podoviral Bacteriophages Virulent for Clostridium perfringens and Their Comparison with Members of the Picovirinae
Plos One, 7(5): e38283
2012
Multidisciplinary structural analysis of diverse picovirinae portal proteins enables applied particle engineering
(manuscript in preparation)
tbc