Phages are abundant in the natural world, occurring in seawater, soil, and in humans. They are the natural enemy of bacteria and can help us to control dangerous pathogens
Phage technology – The basics and how we can benefit!
This video was made possible by the Bill & Melinda gates foundation.
Created with scientific advice and editing by James Gurney.
Credits Kurzgesagt
Phages are a part of everyday life without most of us knowing it. They are the most abundant organism on our planet. They have been around for millions of years. How can we make use of nature’s solution against harmful bacteria?
PHAGE FACTS
- They are the most abundant microorganisms on the planet
- Every 48 hours 50% of the entire global bacterial population is replaced by phages
- Human gut contains one million billion phages (10E15)
- One ml seawater contains one billion phages
- Phages are 100 times smaller than bacteria
- We can not see them under a normal microscope, yet their collective biomass is larger that that of all humans
- PhageGuard is powered by the natural enemies of bacteria – organic phages.
Food applications
Phages are proven to be highly effective in killing specific bad bacteria responsible for many of the recurring outbreaks of foodborne illness in the U.S. and around the world.
That kind of specific targeting allows food processors to eliminate Salmonella and Listeria while preserving bacteria beneficial to human health without altering the taste, color, texture or aroma of meats, cheeses or vegetables.
Human Health
Scientists have known about and studied phages for more than a century. In addition to food safety, phages have been used for decades in medicine to fight infections resistant to antibiotics.
In fact, because drug resistance is an increasingly pressing issue, new therapies with their roots in phage technology have become increasingly important in the field of medical science.
Micreos‘ Staphefekt SA.100 is such an enzyme (endolysin), which kills only Staphylococcus aureus, including MRSA. It is also suitable for routine maintenance therapy, for inflammatory skin conditions such as eczema, rosacea, psoriasis and inflammatory acne.
Animal health
The overuse of antibiotics in livestock is endangering the availability of antibiotics for humans. Phage based solutions are being develop and tested which can replace these antibiotics in different areas. Feeding phages to live animals can steer and control the gut flora. This will prevent animals from getting sick and reduce or eliminate the use of antibiotics.
Crop Protection
Phages are essential for life on earth, killing roughly half of all bacteria every two days. They are the most common micro organisms on our planet, present in abundance on our food, skin, in our gut, etc.
Pesticides are widely used in agriculture to control bacterial destruction of fruits and vegetables. Fire blight and potato rot for example can devastate and diminish the harvest. Bacterial resistance to pesticides and the pesticide trap which results in diminishing returns as use is increased time and again, is a trend we need to turn. Phages are being investigated and tested as an alternative natural intervention.
Future applications
Anywhere specific bacteria pose a problem for society, this platform technology provides new opportunities. Examples are fermentation processes and blue-green algea surface water contamination.