Niche Construction Evolution Experiment - Prophage Project
We experimentall evolved populations of the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa (strain MPAO1) at high vs. low population densities to test whether high population density drives eco-evolutionary feedbacks (where populations adapt in response to self-induced environmental chance). As part o this project, we sequenced endpoint populations across both treatments using Illumina short-read sequencing. After discovering that two filamentous bacteriophage species (Pf4 and Pf6), which exist as avirulent prophages in the genome of MPAO1, evolved hyperactivity in 15/16 of our populations, we also isolated and sequenced 27 hyperactive phage isolates using Oxford nanopore long-read sequencing.