Research
Broad-host-range (BHR) plasmids significantly contribute to prokaryotic
diversity, adaptation, and evolution by conferring specific phenotypic
traits to the host organism, including resistance to antibiotics, heavy
metals, and UV light, as well as various pathogenic traits. Expanding
current knowledge of BHR plasmids by analyzing and comparing their genome
sequences, and learning how they evolved, may contribute in the future to
the progress of more efficient treatments of infectious diseases,
bioremediation, and countless other applications. Hence, it is the goal of
the overall research project to isolate diverse BHR plasmids from
environmental samples and obtain plasmid DNA of sufficient quantity and
quality for whole genome sequence analysis by the Joint Genome Institute (JGI)
of the Department of Energy (DOE). This plasmid sequence information will be
used in the near future to analyze their genetic diversity and likely
functions of accessory genes, to infer the origin of plasmid genes, and to
determine the evolutionary history of plasmids. My recent research has aimed
at completing the first steps of the project, i.e., isolating and purifying
various BHR plasmids from soil and wastewater treatment plants and also at
extracting DNA from plasmids previously isolated |
