Research Summary
Viruses called phages can infect and kill bacteria—even dangerous, antibiotic-resistant strains. Bacteria defend themselves with CRISPR-Cas systems, which are molecular tools that also underpin today’s genome-editing technologies. Some phages fight back by producing “anti-CRISPRs”: proteins that block these defences. Dr. Alan Davidson, Canada Research Chair in Bacteriophage-Based Technologies, is leading the global effort to discover and understand these inhibitors.
He and his research team have already identified more than a dozen anti-CRISPRs and have uncovered new mechanisms for how these work. They are now investigating phage tails—the specialized structures that determine which bacteria a phage can infect—and related bactericidal particles called tailocins. Their research is revealing strategies to design more powerful, targeted phages and improve CRISPR-based biotechnologies. Ultimately, it could lead to new treatments for antibiotic-resistant infections while enhancing the safety and precision of human genome editing.