👾 PHAGE‑TASTICALLY FUN
What in the World Are Bacteriophages?
If you’re wondering what bacteriophages (or phages for short) are, here’s the scoop: they’re microscopic viruses that infect specific bacteria. Think of them as nature’s bacterial hunters! 🕵️♀️ They attach to a bacterial cell, inject their genetic material, and take over, turning the bacteria into a virus factory. Eventually, the bacteria bursts open and releases tons of new phages ready to find the next target.
🌎 Fun Fact: Phages are everywhere — floating in the oceans 🌊, hiding in the soil 🌱, and even hanging out in your food 🥪. Scientists estimate there are more bacteriophages on Earth than all other organisms combined! Learn more about these tiny superheroes on YouTube or TikTok
🧪 The Experiment: Mixing & Zapping E. coli
Our experiment for the day used bacteriophages to take down E. coli bacteria. We got to create our own custom phage mixture using two types, called T4 and T7. Armed with pipettes (my favorite part!) I carefully measured 60 µL of T4 and 40 µL of T7 into a test tube. Watching the liquid swirl together felt like mixing up a✨secret ✨science potion. Then came the coolest part — we handed our samples off to a robot! 🤖
This robot had a mechanical “finger” pipette that transferred our phage mixture to E. coli samples. Once that was done, we placed everything into an incubator 🔥 to speed up the process. Over time, the robot measured how the E. coli population grew — and more importantly, when it stopped growing. That’s when we knew the phages had done their job and destroyed the bacteria.
🎨 Phage Art: Science Meets Creativity
After the experiment, we got to do something totally unexpected — bacteriophage art! Using a laminated picture of a phage, I pipetted drops of colorful food dye onto the image. Then, I pressed a blank sheet of paper over it to soak up the colors and reveal a vibrant, one-of-a-kind print. The result looked like a tie-dye version of a virus — bright, weird, and super cool! 🌈
💡Did you Know? Microbial (or agar) art involves using bacteria, yeast, or fungi as "paint" on nutrient-rich petri dishes to create living, growing masterpieces - there are even competitions like the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) annual competition - you’ve got to check this out!!
🥗 Bacteriophages Beyond the Lab
Here’s the wild part: bacteriophages aren’t just fun to study — they’re incredibly useful in the real world. The food industry uses them to keep food safe and bacteria-free. Scientists can program certain phages to target dangerous bacteria like Listeria, which sometimes contaminates deli meats and cheeses 🧀.
🥪Fun Fact: The next time you enjoy lunch meat, remember that tiny viruses could be helping keep it safe; dig deeper on YouTube
🧠 Final Thoughts
From pipetting and mixing phages to watching robots destroy bacteria, this workshop was an unforgettable mix of science and technology. I learned that even the tiniest things — like viruses — can play a huge role in protecting our health and shaping our world. Big thanks to the team at the CSHL DNA Learning Center for an amazing day of discovery. I can’t wait to go back and see what microscopic adventure awaits next! 🧬✨
This blog is based on my experience in CSHL Saturday DNA! Session: Bacteriophages and Food: Fighting Bacteria from Farm to Table! on November 16, 2024.
