Efficiency of Viral Phage T4 in Combating E. coli

Overview

Objectives/Goals The scientific experiment, Viral Phage Efficiency in Combating Escherichia Coli B. will investigate an alternative treatment through the utilization of the viral phage, T4r. The objective of this project is to test the efficiency and pave the way for future studies in bacteriophage therapy and productions of disinfectants and pesticides. We believe that the viral phage T4r will effectively eradicate the Escherichia Coli B, infecting the bacterium exponentially until all of the bacterium have been infected, at which point, the virus will revert into a dormant stage. Methods/Materials During the first phase of the experiment, E. Coli was scraped onto the petri dish in a zig-zag formation to produce variations in bacterial formation concentration. The second phase of the experiment tested bacteria cultured in non-uniform concentrations kept at a stable 98.7 degrees Fahrenheit in order to mimic circumstances within the human body. Results During the first phase of the experiment, E. Coli was scraped onto the petri dish in a zig-zag formation to produce variations in bacterial formation concentration. Viral phages were fairly efficient at eliminating and/or containing bacterial growth higher concentrations of the viral phage at room temperature. The second phase of the experiment tested bacteria cultured in non-uniform concentrations kept at a stable 98.7 degrees Fahrenheit in order to mimic circumstances within the human body. Under these circumstances the viral phage was very effective at killing off bacteria, with higher concentrations of viral phages killing or containing bacterial growth after 12 hours of observation, and all concentrations limiting or ceasing bacterial growth after 24 hours. These Conclusions/Discussion These results demonstrate that the viral phage may be an effective treatment of bacterial infections within warm-blooded organisms. Viral phage treatments may also prove fairly effective in applications such as pesticides, but further testing must be conducted to determine the ability of the viral phages to survive in inconsistent environments.

Competition history

• CSEF 2015 Microbiology (General) · Entry S1510

Resources

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