Induction of lysogenic bacteriophages from MF160 using UV light from various sources

Many bacterial species harbor temperate bacteriophages in their genomes. These viruses that infect bacteria are replicated along with their hosts, but can often be induced to enter the lytic cycle. The induction of lysogenic bacteriophages via ultraviolet (UV) light is a standard approach to explore bacteriophage-bacteria interactions and optimize phage production. In this study, we investigate the impact of different UV exposure sources and durations on phage induction efficiency and bacterial survival in strain MF160. Cultures inoculated with strain MF160 are diluted to an optical density of approximately 0.2 and exposed to UV light from three sources: a handheld UV flashlight, a UV chamber located in the biology building, and a dedicated UV chamber in the microbiology laboratory. Exposure times range from 10 to 60 seconds, with intervals of 10 seconds, to identify optimal induction conditions. Post-exposure survival and phage induction efficiency is assessed by counting surviving bacterial colonies and plaque-forming units (PFU). CFU are determined by standard serial dilution, while PFU are determined using a top agar plating technique. We hypothesize that there will be an increase in phage induction with increasing UV exposure, but over some threshold the viability of the cell population will reduce phage production. Our goal is to determine an optimal UV exposure strategy in terms of source and time that maximizes phage yield without excessive bacterial lethality. Preliminary experiments with strain MF160 have demonstrated successful phage induction using UV treatment, validating the potential of this strain for exploring phage production strategies.