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SUMMARY:The sweet smell of E.coli division - Dr David Summers
DTSTART:20131204T210000Z
DTEND:20131204T220000Z
UID:TALK48331@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Graham Edgecombe
DESCRIPTION:Plasmids are weapons of mass destruction within the prokaryoti
 c genome. They extend the metabolic capacity of their host\, allowing it t
 o invade and survive in new environments\, and confer pathogenicity and an
 tibiotic resistance to otherwise benign bacteria. They also play a crucial
  role in bacterial evolution. When compared to plasmid-mediated horizontal
  gene transfer in prokaryotes\, our feeble efforts to generate genetic var
 iation by sexual reproduction are laughable.\n\nDespite the variety of adv
 antages they confer on bacteria\, the relationship between plasmids and th
 eir hosts is complex.  While at times it appears mutualistic\, it sometime
 s seems to veer towards parasitism. The more selfish aspects of their beha
 viour seem to support the argument that plasmids should be considered as s
 imple living organisms in their own right.\n\nIn this talk Dr. David Summe
 rs will tell the story of a research project that has that has been conduc
 ted in his laboratory in Cambridge for over twenty years. Starting as a st
 udy of the mechanisms that ensure E. coli plasmids are transmitted to both
  daughter cells at division\, it led to the discovery that plasmids selfis
 hly regulate the bacterial cell cycle to ensure their own survival. As a b
 onus the study has also revealed a previously unknown\, and very unexpecte
 d\, mechanism by which bacteria regulate their own cell division.
LOCATION:Nihon Room\, Pembroke College
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