ucosal environments are abundant in the human body and are important interfaces for microbial interactions. Phages, viruses that infect and kill microbes, can persist in these niches and influence the composition of the microbiome. The Ribbeck Lab has shown that mucus-derived signals affect gene expression and the physiology of microbes. This project aims to uncover ways in which this mucosal environment shapes phage behavior, too. We aim to understand how mucus affects the transport properties of phage with single-particle tracking. This project contributes to our understanding of the way that mucus modulates biological behavior and to phage therapy research, as penetrating mucus is a key challenge for drug delivery.

I am participating in this SuperUROP because I am passionate about understanding the ways that biological fluids, like mucus, impact and explain biological phenomena. I hope to grow more confident in my abilities as a researcher.

I am participating in SuperUROP because I am passionate about understanding the ways that microbes interact and influence their hosts. I hope to uncover a new phenomenon in my project while growing more confident in my abilities as a researcher. I want to apply what I’ve learned in my most recent internship where I worked on directed evolution in microbes to evolving phages.