Prof. Michael Laub
Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Cambridge, MA

Functions of Bacterial Toxin-Antitoxin Systems

Toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems are ubiquitous genetic elements in bacterial genomes, but their functions are poorly understood. We have been exploring their roles in providing bacteria with potent defense against their phage predators. In this talk, I will describe our work in dissecting the molecular basis by which some TA systems are activated by phage infection and how active toxins can thwart phage infection. Additionally, through an experimental evolution approach, we have begun identifying the ways in which phage can 'fight back' and counter-defend against TA systems. Finally, we have developed a new screening approach for identifying anti-phage defense elements in bacteria that has revealed both new TA systems and other, unrelated immunity mechanisms


Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 870 1022 7413
Passcode: 812669