Date of Submission

Spring 2021

Academic Program

Biology

Project Advisor 1

Brooke Jude

Abstract/Artist's Statement

Violacein is a purple-pigmented small metabolite that has significant biomedical and ecological importance. Significantly, violacein has been studied for its killing effect against Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), a toxic and invasive chytrid fungus causing dramatic declines of amphibians worldwide. Violacein production in bacteria is completed through a five gene operon (vioA-E). Violacein-producing species are of scientific interest due to their potential use as an environmentally-friendly bioremediation agent against the invasive Bd fungus. Here we report the development of the genome editing method, CRISPR-Cas9, to disrupt vioA of a Hudson Valley native Iodobacter species, BJB302. By utilizing CRISPR-Cas9 mechanisms and comparative genomic strategies, we offer insight into violacein biosynthesis and regulation. Our work is also one of the first to contribute to CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing in undergraduate research. By comparing the violacein biosynthesis operon among several different violacein-producing strains, we have furthered the understanding of the violacein metabolite and its biosynthesis. Thus, this study provides insight into improving violacein-producing strains as a bioremediation agent.

Open Access Agreement

On-Campus only

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.

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