ORCID

0000-0002-8370-9925

Department

Biological Sciences

Year of Study

3

Full-time or Part-time Study

Full-time

Level

Postgraduate

Presentation Type

Poster

Supervisor

Prof Jim O'Mahony

Supervisor

Prof Aidan Coffey

Abstract

Background

Mycobacterial disease is a major cause of fatality worldwide, with approximately 1.5 million deaths for every 10 million infections. These infections are difficult to treat due to the intrinsic resistance of its mycolic acid rich cell wall to many antibiotics. There is potential for mycobacteriophage (MP) to be used therapeutically for multidrug- and extensively-drug resistant infections. Mycobacterium smegmatis mc2 155 is a useful substitute for slow-growing pathogenic mycobacteria, as it propagates quickly under lab conditions. This feature of M. smegmatis increases the pace of analysis, by ensuring the quick isolation and characterisation of MP and acting as a model organism for proof-of-concept studies.

Methods

M. smegmatis was used to spike various matrices before applying phage to provide insights into which matrices permit phage infection. Here we demonstrate the application of a recently characterised MP, LOCARD, to various mediums spiked with M. smegmatis, including broth, milk and simulated intestinal fluid. MP survival in simulated gastric fluid was also examined to determine whether encapsulation could enhance delivery to the intestinal environment.

Conclusion

Through reduction in bacterial numbers or phage propagation, we infer the environments which permit phage-host interaction sufficiently to reduce the mycobacterial burden of each matrix. From these rapidly generated results, we can hypothesise and extrapolate how slow-growing mycobacterium species and their phages may interact in these conditions, helping guide the design of future experiments and therapies.

Keywords:

Mycobacteriophage, alginate, milk, gastric, intestinal

Start Date

2-11-2023 11:15 AM

End Date

2-11-2023 12:00 PM

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Nov 2nd, 11:15 AM Nov 2nd, 12:00 PM

Mycobacteriophage: A demonstration of the reduction of M. smegmatis in various matrices.

Background

Mycobacterial disease is a major cause of fatality worldwide, with approximately 1.5 million deaths for every 10 million infections. These infections are difficult to treat due to the intrinsic resistance of its mycolic acid rich cell wall to many antibiotics. There is potential for mycobacteriophage (MP) to be used therapeutically for multidrug- and extensively-drug resistant infections. Mycobacterium smegmatis mc2 155 is a useful substitute for slow-growing pathogenic mycobacteria, as it propagates quickly under lab conditions. This feature of M. smegmatis increases the pace of analysis, by ensuring the quick isolation and characterisation of MP and acting as a model organism for proof-of-concept studies.

Methods

M. smegmatis was used to spike various matrices before applying phage to provide insights into which matrices permit phage infection. Here we demonstrate the application of a recently characterised MP, LOCARD, to various mediums spiked with M. smegmatis, including broth, milk and simulated intestinal fluid. MP survival in simulated gastric fluid was also examined to determine whether encapsulation could enhance delivery to the intestinal environment.

Conclusion

Through reduction in bacterial numbers or phage propagation, we infer the environments which permit phage-host interaction sufficiently to reduce the mycobacterial burden of each matrix. From these rapidly generated results, we can hypothesise and extrapolate how slow-growing mycobacterium species and their phages may interact in these conditions, helping guide the design of future experiments and therapies.