PhD defence by Ruiliang Zhao

Arms Race at the Microscale: Mechanistic Insights into Bacterial Immunity

Assessment Committee:
Associate Professor Jonas Stenløkke Madsen, Biology, University of Copenhagen (Chairperson)
Professor Marcin Nowotny, International Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Warsaw
Professor Vasili Hauryliuk, Lund University

Supervisor(s):
Professor Søren Johannes Sørensen

Department:
Department of Biology

Place:
Building 1, Room: Auditorium A,Universitetsparken 15, 2100, København Ø

Email address to gain access to the thesis: zhao.ruiliang@bio.ku.dk 
You will either receive a copy of the thesis or be informed where you can read a physical copy.

Short description of the thesis:

Like all living organisms, bacteria are constantly under attack from viruses, and to survive, they've evolved a diverse arsenal of antiviral defense systems. This PhD thesis explores how bacteria detect and respond to these viral threats at the molecular level. By uncovering the mechanisms of two previously uncharacterized bacterial antiviral defense systems, this work reveals how bacterial cells use nucleic acid based signals to regulate antiviral defense and block viral replication. These findings not only deepen our understanding of the evolutionary arms race between bacteria and viruses, but also provide inspiration for new biotechnological tools.