Characterising extracellular contractile injection systems in human gut . Bacteria and archaea have a growing arsenal of characterised mechanisms they can deploy to compete with or control other organ

Description

Characterising extracellular contractile injection systems in human gut . Bacteria and archaea have a growing arsenal of characterised mechanisms they can deploy to compete with or control other organisms in the same environment. The goal of this DECRA will be to characterise a recently uncovered mechanism, where bacteria produce toxin filled ‘missiles’ that can be used to kill or modulate their competitors or host. Molecular and visualisation-based techniques will be applied to uncover the diversity, mechanisms, and targets of these novel microbial weapons in a model ecosystem, the human gut microbiome. This fundamental knowledge will be important for the development of customisable biocontrol agents with the potential to eliminate harmful microorganisms in a range of environments.. Scheme: Discovery Early Career Researcher Award. Field: 3107 - Microbiology. Lead: Dr Andy Leu