Centre for New Antibacterial Strategies (CANS) seminar

A combination of population dynamics and environmental factors drive the adaptive evolution of Pseudomonas aeruginosa during phage infection

Dr. Stephen Dela Ahator
Integrative Microbiology Research Centre,
South China Agricultural University

Thursday February 13
14:15 - 15:00, MH Aud 4

Phage therapy has been envisaged as a panacea for treating multi-drug resistant bacteria. However as experienced with antibiotics, there is growing fear for bacterial evolution of phage resistance. Understanding the intricacies of resistance mechanisms to phage infections holds the key to developing effective antibacterial strategies. This seminar will discuss the convolution of population dynamics and environmental factors as key drivers for adaptive evolution of the metabolically versatile and opportunistic pathogen, Pseudomonas aeruginosa to phage infection. Additional focus will be placed on the integration of the bacterial cell-cell communication mechanism (Quorum Sensing) and CRISPR-Cas adaptive immunity with physiologically relevant stress factors and their impact on bacteria fitness and virulence trade-off during phage exposure.