Sarah Camara-Wilpert:
CRISPR-Cas Repurposed: Defense and Counter-defense on Mobile Genetic Elements

The work in this thesis focuses on the barriers posed to horizontal gene transfer, specifically by CRISPR-Cas immunity, and how mobile genetic elements can co-opt such immune systems to benefit their own evolutionary trajectories. On the flip side, we show how CRISPR-Cas components can be repurposed by mobile genetic elements to evade bacterial immunity and summarize recent advances in immune evasion strategies.