An Appraisal of Bacteriophage Isolation Techniques from Environment

Researchers have recently renewed interest in bacteriophages. Being valuable models for the study of eukaryotic viruses, and more importantly, natural killers of bacteria, bacteriophages are being tapped for their potential role in multiple applications. Bacteriophages are also being increasingly sought for bacteriophage therapy due to rising antimicrobial resistance among pathogens. Reports show that there is an increasing trend in therapeutic application of natural bacteriophages, genetically engineered bacteriophages, and bacteriophage-encoded products as antimicrobial agents. In view of these applications, the isolation and characterization of bacteriophages from the environment has caught attention. In this review, various methods for isolation of bacteriophages from environmental sources like water, soil, and air are comprehensively described. The review also draws attention towards a handful on-field bacteriophage isolation techniques and the need for their further rapid development.