College of Chemistry, Chemical Biology
For his project in the Seed Lab, Peter DePaola IV is characterizing proteins from an ancient satellite virus, which remains dormant in Vibrio Cholerae until the bacteria itself gets infected with a different virus, ICP1. While ICP1 normally multiplies and kills Vibrio Cholerae bacteria, this ancient satellite virus interferes with ICP1 replication, steals viral material, and spreads to other bacteria.