This $325,751 federal Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation's Biological Sciences program (CFDA 47.074) supports research at Williams College to investigate plasmid natural transformation in the bacterium Vibrio natriegens. The research aims to identify and characterize plasmid-encoded modulators of plasmid uptake, which could enhance understanding of how bacteria exchange genetic material and inform synthetic biology applications. The 3-year project, led by undergraduate researchers, will develop methods to systematically study plasmid transfer mechanisms, with a focus on understanding the role of plasmid sequence features. The outcomes could illuminate the scope and impacts of plasmid-mediated horizontal gene transfer in natural microbial communities. No sub-awards are planned under this grant.
Generated 2/25/25, 3:20 AM