RNA-Seq of bacteriophage S-PM2d infecting Synechococcus spp. WH7803 at high light and low light treatments

The aim of this experiment is to identify genes in the bacteriophage S-PM2d that are deferentially expressed in response to light intensity during infection. We were interested in light since the host (Synechococcus) obtains all energy and carbon for growth from light, through photosynthesis. The amount of light entering the cell is therefore approximately proportional to the amount of energy that can be generated. Therefore we wanted to increase the amount of energy available for an infecting virus (S-PM2) and observe the physiological and transcriptional response of the virus. This is particularly interesting because the virus itself encodes genes involved in harvesting this light into energy.