Phage co-infection: a missing link in deciphering phage co-evolutionary dynamics: MULTIPHAGE

Programme(s): HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)

Topic(s): ERC-2023-STG - ERC STARTING GRANTS

Call for proposal: ERC-2023-STG

Funding Scheme: HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants

Grant agreement ID: 101117028 

Project description:
Bacteriophage evolution driven by concurrent infection Bacteriophages – or phages for short – are viruses that specifically infect and replicate within bacteria. Phages can exchange genetic material between them as well as recombine their genome with host DNA, which influences phage genome mosaicism and subsequent evolution. Funded by the European Research Council, the MULTIPHAGE project will employ omics technologies and experimental analyses of model systems in culture to advance the understanding of phage-phage and phage-host co-evolution. The working hypothesis is that phage evolution is also driven by the simultaneous infection of the bacterial host by multiple phages. Given the role of phages in horizontal gene transfer and bacterial population control, project findings have the potential to improve biotechnology and medicine applications.