We were required to bring in a dirt sample because dirt is a common place where phages can be found, enriched, and isolated from. I decided to bring dirt from my indoor plant because I believed most others would choose dirt from outside and I was curious if this would bring different results.
Phages can transfer genes from one bacterial cell to another. This could result in the transfer of antibiotic-resistant genes or other genes from one bacteria to another.
At this point in time phage therapy has been found to work for some but has not been widely used due to the restrictions that come along with it. For one, phages are very specific which could result in them not destroying all the bacteria. Secondly, phages are much bigger than antibiotic molecules so they can only be given in small concentrations of phage per dose. Phages can also transfer genes from one bacterial cell to another which could have many negative effects. Finally, phage therapy can lead the immune system to overreact and lead to a severe allergenic response.
curesymposium.org 
Hi! I was wondering if you could tell me a little bit more about the cultivation or reasoning behind the indoor plant used to find the phage?
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We were required to bring in a dirt sample because dirt is a common place where phages can be found, enriched, and isolated from. I decided to bring dirt from my indoor plant because I believed most others would choose dirt from outside and I was curious if this would bring different results.
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What is horizontal gene transfer?
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Phages can transfer genes from one bacterial cell to another. This could result in the transfer of antibiotic-resistant genes or other genes from one bacteria to another.
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Could phage therapy be used without repercussions or does phage therapy also have his limits to where resistance could occur?
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At this point in time phage therapy has been found to work for some but has not been widely used due to the restrictions that come along with it. For one, phages are very specific which could result in them not destroying all the bacteria. Secondly, phages are much bigger than antibiotic molecules so they can only be given in small concentrations of phage per dose. Phages can also transfer genes from one bacterial cell to another which could have many negative effects. Finally, phage therapy can lead the immune system to overreact and lead to a severe allergenic response.
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