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Updated: Mar 28, 2026

Bacteriophage Effectiveness for Biocontrol of Foodborne Pathogens Evaluated via High-Throughput Settings
Published on: August 19, 2021
Bacteriophage endolysins: applications for food safety
Mathias Schmelcher1, Martin J Loessner1
1Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, ETH Zurich, Schmelzbergstrasse 7, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland.
Abstract:
Bacteriophage endolysins (peptidoglycan hydrolases) have emerged as a new class of antimicrobial agents useful for controlling bacterial infection or other unwanted contaminations in various fields, particularly in the light of the worldwide increasing frequency of drug-resistant pathogens. This review summarizes and discusses recent developments regarding the use of endolysins for food safety. Besides the use of native and engineered endolysins for controlling bacterial contamination at different points within the food production chain, this also includes the application of high-affinity endolysin-derived cell wall binding domains for rapid detection of pathogenic bacteria. Novel approaches to extend the lytic action of endolysins towards Gram-negative cells will also be highlighted.
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