Suraj Songra
Academic and research departments
Section of Virology, School of Biosciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences.About
Biography
I am the Senior Lab Tech for the Section of Virology, School of Biosciences, Faculty of Health and Medicine. I provide support to staff and students. I have vast experience working as a tech in various industries.
University roles and responsibilities
- Senior Laboratory Technician
- PAT test Trained
- First Aid Trained
My qualifications
Previous roles
ITHPharma is a Wembley based Pharmaceutical company, My role here was to produce medicine for neonatal units for NHS hospitals across the UK following strict GMP regulations and working in cleanrooms. In addition I had technical roles which included stocking compounds for medicine production, assistance to microbiologist for testing of microbes, cleaning and training users on various instruments.
As the sole technician my role was to provide technical support to the high-school, this involved setting up practical, being present during practical classes, designing new practical to fit curriculum alongside SLT. Touring parents around science facilities during open evenings. Cover classes during staff absence and assisting with other departments such as IT. My role also involved covering H&S for the school, purchasing of chemicals and inventory stock checks.
Publications
Bacteria have evolved an extraordinary diversity of defense systems against bacteriophage (phage) predation. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying these anti-phage systems often remain elusive. Here, we provide mechanistic and structural insights into Zorya phage defense systems. Using cryo-EM structural analyses, we show that the Zorya type I and II core components, ZorA and ZorB, assemble in a 5:2 complex that is similar to inner-membrane ion-driven, rotary motors that power flagellar rotation, type 9 secretion, gliding and the Ton nutrient uptake systems. The ZorAB complex has an elongated cytoplasmic tail assembled by bundling the C-termini of the five ZorA subunits. Mutagenesis demonstrates that peptidoglycan binding by the periplasmic domains of ZorB, the structured cytoplasmic tail of ZorA, and ion flow through the motor is important for function in both type I and II systems. Furthermore, we identify ZorE as the effector module of the Zorya II system, possessing nickase activity. Our work reveals the molecular basis of the activity of Zorya systems and highlights the ZorE nickase as crucial for population-wide immunity in the type II system.
Bacteria carry numerous anti-phage systems in "defense islands" or hotspots. Recent studies have delineated the content and boundaries of these islands in various species, revealing instances of islands that encode additional factors, including antibiotic resistance genes, stress genes, type VI secretion system (T6SS)-dependent effectors, and virulence factors. Our study identifies three defense islands in the Serratia genus with a mixed cargo of anti-phage systems, virulence factors, and different types of anti-bacterial modules, revealing a widespread trend of co-accumulation that extends beyond T6SS-dependent effectors to colicins and contact-dependent inhibition systems. We further report the identification of four distinct anti-phage system/subtypes, including a previously unreported Toll/interleukin (IL)-1 receptor (TIR)-domain-containing system with population-wide immunity, and two loci co-opting a predicted T6SS-related protein for phage defense. This study enhances our understanding of the protein domains that can be co-opted for phage defense, resulting in a highly diversified anti-phage arsenal.