Bacteriophage - Bacterium - Plant interactions

While some bacteria are life threatening to plants, others are essential for life. While the bad guys destroy our crops, the good guys help our plants to protect them from disease. But, all of these microbes, both the good and the bad, are under attack by viruses. 

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Bacteriophages, or phages for short, are viruses that prey on bacteria. These snipers are specific, precise and deadly. In my research, I look into the interaction between these phages and bacteria, how they shape bacterial communities, what role they play in disease development in plants and how they shape the plant-microbe interaction.