Skip to main content
Aller à la page d’accueil de la Commission européenne (s’ouvre dans une nouvelle fenêtre)
français fr
CORDIS - Résultats de la recherche de l’UE
CORDIS

The evolution of host manipulation by bacteriophage.

Objectif

The idea of parasite manipulation is well known in animal behaviour, with famous examples like the cordyceps ?zombie? fungus of ants. Yet, the most abundant and diverse parasites on earth do not target animals but rather bacteria. They are the bacteriophages, or phages. My hypothesis is that it is in phages that we will find the most important examples of parasite manipulation, examples that will help us both understand and control bacteria, and their impacts. I will focus on the recently-discovered Regulatory Switch (RS) phage, which reversibly excise and reintegrate into the bacterial chromosome to shift the host between different physiological states. I, and others, have shown that RS phages influence a wide variety of bacterial traits including sporulation, biofilm formation, mutation rates or bacteriocin production. However, we do not understand when, how or why these viruses cause such large changes to bacterial behavior. The goal of my project, therefore, is to understand how and why RS phage evolve as a new candidate model of parasite manipulation. Specifcally, I will answer: 1) When and how do RS phages alter host behavior? 2) What is the molecular basis for the effects of RS phage? 3) Why have RS phage evoved to change bacterial behaviours, and is there evidence of counter strategies in their bacterial hosts? I will work with the bacterium Bacillus subtilis, which is strongly affected by RS phage and a model organism, allowing me to employ the very latest molecular methods. My goal is to demonstrate that parasite manipulation is a major factor in the ecology and evolution of bacteria, whereby many bacteria are essentially puppets of their phage masters. Understanding how phage achieve this manipulation also has the potential for broad impacts in an era when the need to find new ways to control bacteria becomes ever greater.

Champ scientifique (EuroSciVoc)

Mots‑clés

Programme(s)

Thème(s)

Régime de financement

HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants

Voir tous les projets financés dans le cadre de ce programme de financement

Appel à propositions

(s’ouvre dans une nouvelle fenêtre) ERC-2021-STG

Voir tous les projets financés au titre de cet appel

Institution d’accueil

UNIVERZA V LJUBLJANI
Contribution nette de l'UE
€ 2 255 511,00
Adresse
KONGRESNI TRG 12
1000 Ljubljana
Slovénie
Région
Slovenija Zahodna Slovenija Osrednjeslovenska
Type d’activité
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Liens
Coût total
€ 2 255 511,00

Bénéficiaires (1)