Kathryn Mulvey ’23 and Caroline Zielinski ’23
The Predation Resistance of Squashed E. coli
Kathryn Mulvey ’23, Biology major
Caroline Zielinski ’23, Biology major
Faculty Mentor, Dr. Laura Williams, Biology
Predatory bacteria hunt and kill other bacteria, including pathogens that cause disease in humans, which makes them a promising alternative for treating antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections. Currently, it is unknown whether and how pathogens evolve resistance to predation. To investigate this, we are studying interactions between E. coli, which is a model organism for pathogenic bacteria, and predatory Bdellovibrio. When we co-cultured E. coli with a particular strain of predatory Bdellovibrio, we observed the emergence of predation-resistant E. coli that had reduced susceptibility to killing by Bdellovibrio. This demonstrates that changes in susceptibility to predation are possible. We hypothesize that proteins on the surface of E. coli are involved in this phenotypic change. To test our hypothesis, we are measuring the expression of two E. coli surface protein genes. Our work contributes to defining the mechanisms governing susceptibility of pathogens to predatory bacteria, and it will help inform development of predatory bacteria as a biocontrol strategy for drug-resistant infections.
Poster Presentation: Thursday, April 27, 2 – 4 p.m.
