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NICOLE SHEELEY
NSF Graduate Fellow
nksheeley@msn.com |
Thesis Title: Evolutionary trends in Enterohemorrhagic Escherchia coli: Cooperation of the bacterial chromosome with Shiga-toxin transducing phage. Research Advisor: Dr. Peter Sheridan Teacher Partner: Doris Autenrieth Degree Sought: PhD Microbiology University Department and/or Lab: Biological Sciences, Sheridan Laboratory Research Focus: The relationship of evolutionary rates between the cooperative genes involved in the recombinatory machinations of Shiga toxin-transducing phage and their E. coli host. Description of Research: My research focuses on the relationship between phage borne recombinatory genes and gene products that are recruited by the phage from the E. coli bacterial chromosome for this process. Previous research in this area shows increased frequency of a particular Shiga toxin phylotype (Stx 2) present in human outbreaks of hemolytic colitis (HC) and hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). Many studies have looked at the prevalence, pathobiology, identification, and evolutionary relationships between E. coli strains that carry Shiga toxin-transducing phage in both clinical outbreaks and domesticated animal reservoirs. However, little attention has been paid to the evolutionary relationships between individual phage genes and the chromosomal genes that are necessary to carry out recombination for the establishment/induction of the phage into/out of the bacterial chromosome. |
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