Poxleitner
Research in Poxleitner Lab
Current projects
There are three projects underway in my lab.The most established project investigates the use of bacteriophage as a biocontrol to fight Crown Gall disease. Bacteriophages are viruses that infect and kill bacteria. We are isolating phage specific for the bacteria Agrobacterium tumefaciens, which causes Crown Gall Disease in horticultural crops. Each isolated phage is purified and assessed for its ability to control Crown Gall Disease in Solanum lycropersicum (tomato) and Vitis vinifera (grapes). Effective phage will be used to create a biological control agent for crop plants to reduce economic losses due to the disease.
The second project is a new collaboration with the Hatfull lab at the University of Pittsburgh investigating the host range of bacteriophage isolated on Mycobacterium smegmatis. A panel of phages isolated around the country, and at Gonzaga, will be tested on a new bacterial host. Phage that successfully infect the new host will be candidates for further study. Researchers will interact with the Hatfull lab and other scientists around the country involved in the collaboration.
The third lab project investigates new mechanisms of bacterial resistance to viral infection. Over the past several billion years the phage-bacteria relationship has been under constant selective pressure for bacteria to evolve ways to escape viral infection and death, and for phages to overcome these mechanisms. Bacteria already infected by a virus are often times resistant, or insensitive, to infection by other phages through a phenomenon known as superinfection immunity. We will look for additional mechanisms of bacterial insensitivity caused by previous phage infections. Researchers will screen the Gonzaga library of phages for interesting targets and investigate the mechanisms of insensitivity. This research project is administered through the B405 Advanced Phage Research Lab. The purpose of the lab course is to give students independent research experience in a class setting. If you are interested in pursuing this project, please contact Dr. Poxleitner for more information.