BERICHT OP DE WEBSITE VAN DE UNIVERSITY OF OTAGO - DUNEDIN
Restriction of gene transfer in pathogenic bacteria by a novel CRISPR-Cas system
Dr Raymond Staals (Microbiology & Immunology) Fast-Start $300,000
CRISPR-Cas is a prokaryotic adaptive immune system that restricts horizontal transfer of foreign genetic elements which carry important genetic traits, such as antibiotic resistance and virulence. The three classical CRISPR-Cas systems have been studied extensively over the last few years, and this has led to a revolution in genome editing. Recently, bioinformatic analyses identified a fourth CRISPR-Cas system (Type IV) in several pathogenic bacteria. No experimental information is available about these systems. I will characterise the structural and enzymatic properties of Type IV CRISPR-Cas to address key fundamental questions about this system and its role in controlling horizontal gene transfer.
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| Klaar voor vertrek in Düsseldorf. Eerst naar Heidelberg (congres) en dan terug naar Nieuw Zeeland |
Dr Raymond Staals awarded Marsden Fast-Start Grant
Congratulations to Dr Raymond Staals, Postdoctoral Fellow in the Fineran Lab, who has been awarded a Fast-Start Grant of $300,000 in the 2015 Marsden Funding round.
This year, more than $11.7M in new government funding has been awarded to University of Otago researchers to undertake 20 world-class research projects pushing the boundaries of knowledge in their fields.
Raymond's project is entitled Restriction of gene transfer in pathogenic bacteria by a novel CRISPR-Cas system.
Project summary:
CRISPR-Cas is a prokaryotic adaptive immune system that restricts horizontal transfer of foreign genetic elements which carry important genetic traits, such as antibiotic resistance and virulence. The three classical CRISPR-Cas systems have been studied extensively over the last few years, and this has led to a revolution in genome editing. Recently, bioinformatic analyses identified a fourth CRISPR-Cas system (Type IV) in several pathogenic bacteria. No experimental information is available about these systems. I will characterise the structural and enzymatic properties of Type IV CRISPR-Cas to address key fundamental questions about this system and its role in controlling horizontal gene transfer.