Bacteriophages (viruses that infect bacteria) are the most abundant biological entities on the planet.

The Kirchberger lab at Oklahoma State University is interested in the genetics, ecology and evolution of non-tailed bacteriophages, particularly single-stranded DNA phages of the family Microviridae. These phages are incredibly abundant in metagenomic datasets, especially of the human gut environment, but apart from the prototypical phiX174, we know very little about their biology.

As a result, we are faced with several fundamental questions:

• How can we isolate these phages?

• How do they successfully compete for the same hosts as much larger phages?

• Can we use these viruses for good?

We work by analyzing microvirus genomes in-silico, synthesizing them in-vitro, and generally taking phages apart and reassembling them in novel ways to figure out how they work.

We also love other weird, small viruses!

Check out the latest news from our laboratory here