UCLA MIMG 103L Undergraduate Bacteriophage Discovery

In MIMG 103AL/BL at UCLA, students collect samples from natural environments and design experiments to discover and characterize novel bacterial viruses (phages). Students then sequence and annotate the genomes of the phages they discover, and perform comparative genomics analyses. This is an authentic research experience in which students participate in all aspects of the scientific process, from sample collection through preparation of data for publication. This research was conducted in partnership with the HHMI Science Education Alliance-Phage Hunters Advancing Genomics and Evolutionary Science (SEA-PHAGES) program.