The award will help to commercialize technology that maps how changes to phage genomes affect how the phage interacts with its host for therapeutic use.
phages
A new tactic in the superbug battle
Associate professor Vatsan Raman is “supercharging evolution” to create an army of bacteria-killing phages that can combat antibiotic-resistant microorganisms.
The Raman Laboratory develops new tool for mapping phage-bacterial interactions
Researchers have developed a new method that reveals the molecular code governing bacteriophage-bacteria interactions. Bacteriophages (phages) – viruses that infect and kill bacteria – have emerged as a promising new frontier due to potential use in antibacterial therapeutics. In a paper released March 9 in eLife, Biochemistry Assistant Professor Vatsan Raman and microbiology graduate student …
Interstellar biological experiments could aid human space travel
If humans are to live in outer space for years at a time, it’s important to understand how the microbes in and on their bodies are affected by space conditions. Humans have trouble performing the most basic tasks when in space thanks to microgravity and they must wear protective gear to safeguard them from the interstellar radiation. But how do microbes experience these effects that aren’t present on Earth?
Biochemists search for new weapon against bacterial disease
Biochemistry professor Srivatsan (“Vatsan”) Raman hopes to harness the power of phages — viruses that infect bacteria but leave humans unscathed. With help from a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Raman’s team is designing phages to specifically target bacteria that are causing diseases in infants.