Projects | Jyot Antani, PhD

Rage Against the Mean: Perspective on measuring single-virus traits

Mon, 06 Apr 2026 15:51:06 +0000

We wrote a perspective on the need and recently developed approaches to study individual virus traits in the most numerous viruses on our planet (phages).

A microscopic way to measure virus attachment

Sun, 22 Feb 2026 14:32:41 +0000

We replaced a (literally) century-old laborious assay to measure the attachment of viruses to bacteria. We developed a fast and efficient microscopy-approach to measure attachment of individual viruses to bacterial cells.

Evolution against a virus that attacks bacterial flagella

Sat, 21 Feb 2026 14:32:28 +0000

Phage χ can only infect E. coli with functional rotating flagella!! We studied what happens when bacteria are forced to evolve against this phage. We found: some bacteria swim slower, but some swim faster!

Synthetic bacteriophages

Sat, 24 Jan 2026 17:56:44 +0000

New England Biolabs (NEB) developed a Golden Gate method to engineer synthetic bacteriophages. I validated the expression of fluorescent proteins engineered into synthetic phage genomes.

Outsmarting Bacterial Evolution in Phage Therapy

Tue, 06 Jun 2023 12:48:01 +0000

Bacteria are great at evolving resistance to anything that we throw at them. This has caused antibiotic resistance crisis. We discuss smart approaches to use phages, viruses infecting bacteria, as therapeutics. TL;DR: phages (enemy of the enemy) can allow us to use bacteria’s fast evolution AGAINST them!

Molecular Mechanisms of Mechanical Force Sensing by Bacterial Flagellar Motors

Wed, 15 Sep 2021 20:32:16 +0000

The flagellar motor in E. coli can sense mechanical forces. We discovered a mechanism involved in this sensing. for a quick explanation.

Single-cell Motility and Chemotaxis of Helicobacter pylori

Wed, 21 Apr 2021 20:46:43 +0000

H. pylori is a bacterium implicated in ulcers and cancers of the stomach. We studied their behavior in response to chemical gradients and the biophysical principles involved in their navigation.

Role of Bacterial Flagella in Surface Sensing

Sun, 04 Apr 2021 04:07:42 +0000

Flagella are involved in the earliest stages of surface colonization by bacteria. We review the current understanding and challenges in Section 1 of an invited topical review.

Orthogonal Imaging Chamber

Sun, 04 Apr 2021 03:52:13 +0000

The orthogonal cross‐sectional profiles (side-views) of fluorescent objects can be distorted when reconstructed from confocal image-slices (aka z-stacks). We designed a chamber to mount samples vertically: parallel to the optical axis, perpendicular to the imaging plane.

Cell Nucleus Migration through Stiff Tissue-esque Scaffold

Thu, 11 Feb 2021 21:03:22 +0000

Intuition suggests that the stiff cell nucleus should be rupture-prone when forced to pass through obstacles. Instead, it behaves like an oil drop during migration, passing smoothly.