Speaker: Maria Yakunina

Leader of research group,

Laboratory of molecular microbiology, Institute of Nanobiotechnologies, Peter the Great St.Petersburg Polytechnic University

Title: The story of giant bacteriophage phiKZ and its potential usage as antimicrobials source

Abstract: Bacteriophages are viruses that infect bacteria, serving as their natural enemies and our potential allies. Due to the constant arms race occurring in the microcosm, bacteriophages possess a vast array of tools to invade bacterial cells and utilize them for reproduction. In the seminar, I will discuss the giant bacteriophage phiKZ, which fundamentally alters the bacterial cell during infection. I will also talk about our current research focused on discovering the mechanisms through which the phage halts the life of a bacterial cell and how we can apply this knowledge.

About the speaker: Maria Yakunina is a leader of the laboratory of molecular microbiology at the Institute of Nanobiotechnologies, Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, Russia.