By Dr. David Wassarman, CMB Chair
Jackie conducted his thesis research with Vatsan Raman in the Department of Biochemistry. His thesis is titled “Systematic, high-throughput characterization of phage gene essentiality in diverse conditions.”
Jackie’s thesis addresses what has been described as a yawning gap in the field of phage functional genomics, and his discoveries are expected to be transformational. Indeed, the prediction is that ‘the impact of PhageMaP will be immense.’ Bacteriophages are natural predators of bacteria, evolutionarily selected to exploit and disrupt bacterial biology. Jackie designed a high-throughput functional genomics platform, PhageMaP, based on a pooled, barcoded library of loss-of-function phage mutants that can be deployed across user-defined experimental conditions. This platform is now available to the broader research community seeking treatments for difficult bacterial infections, including those resistant to standard antibiotics. Jackie’s thesis provides a compelling and authoritative introduction to the field, along with a rigorous analysis of the data generated by this elegant genetic strategy.
Dylan conducted his thesis research with Andrea Galmozzi in the Department of Medicine. His thesis is titled “Pyrrolemania: Metabolite-dependent regulation of brown adipose tissue thermogenesis via heme.”
Dylan’s thesis examines the role of heme biosynthesis in metabolic physiology. Heme is ubiquitous in aerobic organisms, and its unique chemistry is essential for gas exchange and electron transport. His work demonstrates that loss of heme biosynthesis alters not only the functional properties of adipose tissues specialized for heat generation but also the mechanisms that maintain the biochemical, genetic, and functional homeostasis of these depots. Dylan’s thesis is introduced by a comprehensive review of thermogenic regulation and concludes with a thought-provoking and forward-looking chapter.