The Antibiotic
Selection of “Mutator”
Strains of E. coli
&
A Substrate Chemistry
Driven Origin of Life
Experiment
Matthew Pagel - University of
Wisconsin
Wills Lab - UCSD Biology
NSCORT/Exobiology
Antibiotic Selection for
Mutator Strains
• In parallel with other forms of
mutation for antibiotic
resistance
• Low Probability: need large
inoculation volumes for both
mutations to occur
• Amplification of mutator with
respect to other mutations each
round
What could a “Mutator”
be?
• A defect in a DNA repair
enzyme could be a novel one not
before examined
• A transposable element, virus,
or other “mobile” DNA
• An additional enzyme that
targets antibiotic resistance
genes
Goals of the Experiment
• Find mutators
• Test second-order selection
theories
• Basic testing of the evolvability
of bacteria to serial antibiotics
• Naturally occurring mutator
selection has never before been
done
Substrate Chemistry
Apparatus
Minerals, Gasses, etc. to
Use
• Double-layer
metal
hydroxides (+
charge)
• Whitlockite
(Phosphate
source)
•
•
•
•
•
•
CH4
NH3
H2
CO2
N2
HCN
Acknowledgements
•
•
•
•
NSCORT/Exobiology Program
Dr. Chris Wills
Dr. David Metzgar
Rochelle Jean-Jacques, Nikki
Freed, Sol Gutierrez
• The rest of the Wills lab staff
and helpers
• The Chao Lab