it is important to identify the type of phage in order to determine the host array of bacteria that can be infected. this can limit the amount of phages that are used in therapy by phage cocktail and will lessen the possible side effects that may result due to autoimmune response. simply, we want a targeted attack that takes advantage of the high specificity of bacteriophage.
it’s not a question of better, it has to do with the specificity if the phage and which bacterial cell they are infecting. some morphotypes bind to the cell and others have tails long enough to insert the DNA from the head of the phage particles.
because the specific phage we identified (RozMI) is temperate, modification to the phage protein or the repressor proteins produced in the lysogenic lifecycle would have to be modified so that the lytic genes could be expressed without the need for the phage to undergo the lysogenic lifecycle. we also know that our host bacteria M. Smegmatis is a nonpathogenic from the same strain as known bacterial resistant pathogens like tuberculosis and leprosy. Knowing that our A4 phage can infect and lyse bacteria in this strain makes it an option for testing its efficacy on the pathogenic bacteria in the same strain. if successful it could possibly be a candidate for future use in phage therapy against these types of bacteria.
Why do think it is important to make this identification and what can we do with this knowledge?
it is important to identify the type of phage in order to determine the host array of bacteria that can be infected. this can limit the amount of phages that are used in therapy by phage cocktail and will lessen the possible side effects that may result due to autoimmune response. simply, we want a targeted attack that takes advantage of the high specificity of bacteriophage.
Are some morphotypes better than others when it comes to using them for phage therapies?
it’s not a question of better, it has to do with the specificity if the phage and which bacterial cell they are infecting. some morphotypes bind to the cell and others have tails long enough to insert the DNA from the head of the phage particles.
In what ways do you think A4 phages can assist in designing antibiotic resistant drugs or use in phage therapy?
because the specific phage we identified (RozMI) is temperate, modification to the phage protein or the repressor proteins produced in the lysogenic lifecycle would have to be modified so that the lytic genes could be expressed without the need for the phage to undergo the lysogenic lifecycle. we also know that our host bacteria M. Smegmatis is a nonpathogenic from the same strain as known bacterial resistant pathogens like tuberculosis and leprosy. Knowing that our A4 phage can infect and lyse bacteria in this strain makes it an option for testing its efficacy on the pathogenic bacteria in the same strain. if successful it could possibly be a candidate for future use in phage therapy against these types of bacteria.
How do you determine when phage therapy is a better choice than antibiotics?