1. Aida Vargas de Jesus
Danilo Trinidad Pérez Rivera
Lizbeth Perez Castro
Javier M. Zavala Ayala
http://corvusart.com/
RISE Program
Department of Biology
Prof. Eneida Díaz Pérez
Prof. Michael Rubin

2.  Present the bacteriophages of interest.
 Establish adequate hunting strategies.
 Explain the processes carried out for
preparing the phages after localization.
 Demonstrate growth acquired from the
project so far.

3.  Bacteriophages, informally known as “phages”,
are viruses capable of infecting a bacterium
and replicating inside of it. (Snustad and Simmons, 2011)
 These are typically composed of proteins which
encapsulate their DNA or RNA genome.
www.theepochtimes.comwww.shapeways.com

4.  Phages consist of 3 basic
components:
 Capsid-contains the genetic
material
 Genetic material- DNA
 Tail-serves to attach to
bacteria and DNA passes
through tail and into
bacterium
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bacteriophage

5.  Temperate-Lysogenic:
 Replicate and lyse or dormant state- incorporate its genetic material
into DNA of host. (Brüssow at al. 2004)
 Virulent-Lytic:
 Straightforward cycle by lysing all bacteria they infect.

6. http://biomedfrontiers.org/infection-2014-3-28/

7.  Due to their specific nature, many phages can
shed light not only on viruses, but also on their
host. (Silva et al. 2001)
 Moreover, identification of “wild species” can
reveal how the given type of phage is
“evolving”.
 Understanding these two things is
transcendental to medical applications. (Clark and
March 2006)

8. http://www.genomeindia.org/mycobacterium/
http://www.fallingpixel.com/bacillus-bacteria-3d-model/142
M. smegmatis B. cereus

9.  Questions
 Can new phages be found in the environment in
Puerto Rico?
 What environments should be inspected to obtain a
phage?
 Hypotheses
 New phages are widespread throught most
ecosystems, therefore, there should be phages in
Puerto Rico.
 The probability of finding a phage in a given
environment depends on if it is adecuate for the
phages host.

10. httpwww.teachthechildr
enwell.comscience.html
http://www.exportersi
ndia.com/swastikaelect
ric/products.htm
http://quizlet.com/6760545/lab-3-streak-plate-technique-
flash-cards/
Soil
Enrichment
Filtration
Purification
DilutionsTen Plate Preparation
(Rubin and Vázquez 2012)

11. Data for the soil samples recollected by D.Perez
Sample Coordinates
Environmental
description Location Date
DTP - #1
18° 04’46.08”N;
66° 21’47.29”W
Dry;
Superficial (1
cm); 20.6°C Coamo, PR
Feb/06/14
5:45 AM
DTP - #2
18° 02’11.57”N;
66° 22’22.25”W
Moist;
Superficial (1
cm); 21.7°C
Los Baños
de Coamo
Feb/19/14
6:36 AM
DTP - #3
18° 07’12.19”N;
66° 09’26.60”W
Mud-like;
Superficial (3
cm); 21.7°C Cayey, PR
Mar/06/14
9:52 AM

12. Sample Coordinates Description Location Date
DTP - #4
18° 07’12.75”N;
66° 09’26.89”W
Moist soil;
Superficial (1
cm); 17.8°C Cayey, PR
Mar/18/14
9:13 AM
DTP - #5
18° 07'5.430" N;
66° 09'42.58" W
Moist soil;
Superficial (1
cm); 17.8°C Cayey, PR
Mar/18/14
9:24 AM
DTP - #6
18° 07’12.19”N;
66° 09’26.60”W
Mud-like
consistency;
Superficial (3
cm); 18.3°C Cayey, PR
Mar/18/14
9:43 AM

13. Data for the soil samples recollected by A.Vargas
Sample Coordinates Description Location Date:Time
AV - #1 18°4’27” N;
66.11’56” W
Moist; Superficial
sample (1cm); 24°C
Cayey,
PR
Feb/2/14
3:56PM
AV - #2 18°28’4” N;
66°19’52” W
Very moist, sample of
dirt underneath
clover leaves (1cm);
30°C
Dorado,
PR
Mar/2/14
3:05 PM
AV - #3 18°7’30” N;
66°15’48” W
Normal moisture
(underneath grass),
1cm;
23°C
Aibonito,
PR
Mar/9/14
11:07 AM
AV - #4 18°7’14”N;
66°16’22”W
Dry (underneath
dried leaves; chicken
nesting area), 1cm;
Aibonito,
PR
Mar/9/14
11:36 AM

14. Sample Coordinates Description Location Date:Time
AV - #5 18°4’19”N;
66°12’20”W
Some
moisture,
1cm; 27°C
Cayey, PR Mar/16/14
4:19PM
AV - #6 18°4’29”N;
66°11’56”W
Moist
(underneath
grass and
dried feces),
(1cm) 27°C
Cayey, PR Mar/16/14
4:45PM
AV - #7 18° 4’31”N;
66°11’51”W
Wet (mud)
Superficial
(1cm); 27°C
Cayey, PR Mar/16/14
6:24PM

16. Data for the soil samples recollected by L. Perez
Sample Coordinates Description Location Date:Time
LP - #1 18º 16’ 16’ N,
65º 58’ 10’ W
Loose, and moist Gurabo,
PR
Feb/3/14
7:34 AM
LP - #2 18º 6’ 58’ N,
66º 9’ 19’ W
Moist and Chunky Cayey,
PR
Feb/17/
2014
8:20 AM
LP - #3 18º 16’ 7’ N,
65º 58’ 32’ W
Loose, and moist next
to cow feces
Gurabo,
PR
Feb/24/
2014
8:05 AM

17. http://faculty.plattsburgh.edu/donal
d.slish/lambdatitre.html

18. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 101 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
1 – Marker 2 – Cacimar 3 – Incognito 4 – Isinaayusferti 5 – Nitidusvenutus
6 – Serotinus 7 – Wilsonn 8 – Figaro 9 – Gêmeos

21.  Understanding and characterizing
bacteriophages provides plenty of useful
information.
 Puerto Rico has an ample amount of
uncharacterized phages in its soil.
 One should search for phages where their host
could possibly be found.

22.  Describe the structure of these phages utilizing
Electron Microscopy.
 Sequence and annotate the genetic material of
these phages.

23.  Losing is winning.
 Practice makes perfect.
 Friends make it a lot easier.
 Patience is a virtue.
 Quitters never win.

24.  The RISE program for opening the door for us
to such a great opportunity.
 Dr. Rubin for volunteering to give us such a
full and enriched experience.
 Nicolle Rosa and Juan Apiz for their help as
our assigned TA.
 Gustavo and Giovanni for always being there
to help.
 The cafeteria for the free “sample collectors”.
 Our moms for the Ziplock bags.

25.  Asai DJ, Bailey C, Barker LP, Bradley KW, Khaja R, Lewis MF. 2012.
Sea-Phages: Resource Guide. Chevy Chase, Maryland: Howards
Hughes Medical Institute; 168 p.
 Brüssow H, Canchaya C, Hardt W. 2004. Phages and the Evolution of
Bacterial Pathogens: from Genomic Rearrangements to Lysogenic
Conversion. Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev. 68(3): 560-602 p.
 Cantón R, Horcajada JP, Oliver A, Garbajosa PR, Vila J. 2013.
Inappropriate use of antibiotics in hospitals: The complex relationship
between antibiotic use and antimicrobial resistance. Enferm. Infecc.
Microbiol. Clin; 31(4): 3-11.
 Clark JR, March JB. 2006. Bacteriophages and biotechnology: vaccines,
gene therapy and antibacterials. Trends Biotechnol; 24(1): 212-218.

26.  Delbück, M. 1945. The Burst Size Distribution in the Growth of
Bacterial Viruses (Bacteriophages). J Bacteriol; 50(2): 131-135.
 Leung PCS, Shu S, Kenny TP, Wu P, Tao M. 2010 March.
Development and validation of gene therapies in autoimmune
diseases: Epidemiology to animal models. Autoimmun Rev; 9(5):
A400-A405.
 Rubin M, Vázquez E. 2012. Microbacteriophage Proteomics: From
Genotype to Phenotype (There and Back Again)!.Cayey, PR. Howard
Hughes Program, Department of Biology; 20 p.
 Silva AJ, Elgersma Y, Costa RM. 2001. From genes to therapies: the
role of animal models. Clin Neurosci Res; 1(3): 187-193.
 Snustad P, Simmons MJ. 2011. Principles of Genetic, 6th Edition.
Hoboken, N.J.: J Wiley; 784 p.

27. Aida Vargas de Jesus
Danilo Trinidad Pérez Rivera
Lizbeth Perez Castro
Javier M. Zavala Ayala
http://corvusart.com/
RISE Program
Department of Biology
Prof. Eneida Díaz Pérez
Prof. Michael Rubin