George Mason University Phage and Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria Discussion

In Module 1, you were introduced to the concept of phages, we discussed basic aspects of DNA, RNA, and protein biology, and we read a recent article in TIME magazine about the use of phages as therapeutic agents for finding “superbugs” or antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

For this first discussion post, I want you to simply reflect on some of the information learned and the work ahead.

Discussion posts are graded on the completeness of the response. It is not sufficient to simply say, “Yes, this was new to me.” Be sure to explain your response with detail and/or examples. Please see the page in the Module titled ‘Discussion Post Grading’ to learn more about the process of grading discussion posts and to see some discussion post examples.

Q1: Had you heard about antibiotic resistant bacteria before? Were you surprised to learn that antibiotic-resistant bacteria are a major health crisis?

Q2: Had you heard about phage before? If so, where?

Q3: After reading the article, do you think it is worthwhile to study phage? Why or why not? (There are plenty of scientists that are unsure about phage research and there is even some evidence that suggests phage may play a role in spreading antibiotic resistance from one bacterium to another!)

Q4: What kinds of things could we learn from studying phage?

Q4: At this early juncture, what are your thoughts about pursuing a phage research project in this non-majors class? Please be sure to explain your response.

Download Phage Introduction.mp4

Download Anatomy of a Gene.mp4