Kimberley Seed, Ph.D.

Our lab investigates the impact of phages on the evolution and epidemiology of Vibrio cholerae, which is the causative agent of the severe diarrheal disease cholera. The ability of V. cholerae to prevent phage predation is critical for its evolutionary fitness and epidemic potential. In turn, as obligate bacterial parasites, phages must co-evolve to overcome this resistance or they will face extinction. Our research is aimed at understanding the bacterial immunity and opposing phage immune evasion strategies at play in this dynamic co-evolutionary arms race. We use comparative genomics and complementary molecular approaches to identify and experimentally validate such strategies in disease associated phage and V. cholerae isolates.