Liliana McKay

Research/Areas of Interest

In an era of rising antibiotic resistance, we need new strategies to counteract bacterial pathogens. In the same way that we have evolved in competition with organisms like bacteria that infect us, bacteria have evolved in competition with viruses that target them. These viruses of bacteria, called bacteriophages or phages, are a promising option for future antimicrobials. My research focuses on the relationship between Vibrio cholerae, the causative agent of the diarrheal disease cholera, and ICP3, a phage isolated from human cholera patients.  Although V. cholerae encodes multiple anti-phage defense systems, it cannot defend itself against ICP3 while remaining virulent. My work focuses on how ICP3 overcomes the anti-phage defense systems of V. cholerae, using bacterial and viral genetic approaches to elucidate the evolutionary arms race between these two organisms. This research will identify new mechanisms by which phages circumvent host defenses, thereby informing the development of therapeutic phage products.