Campylobacter Bacteriophage Cocktail Design Based on an Advanced Selection Scheme

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Bacteriophage Research
• Zoonotic Disease Control

Background:

• Campylobacteriosis is a leading zoonotic gastrointestinal infection in the EU.
• Effective phage-based strategies require understanding phage-bacteria interactions for optimal phage cocktail design.

Purpose of the Study:

• Investigate the efficacy of novel group II and group III phages and their combinations against current Campylobacter field strains.
• Evaluate phage cocktail performance in inhibiting bacterial growth and determining phage concentrations.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a workflow combining host range and efficiency of plating (EOP) determination.
• Employed qPCR for phage group identification and liquid-based planktonic killing assays (PKA) for efficacy evaluation.
• Developed an advanced analysis scheme to assess phage cocktail performance.

Main Results:

• Planktonic killing assays (PKA) provide more accurate data than traditional plaque formation (EOP) for Campylobacter.
• A mixture of group II phage vB_CcM-LmqsCP218-2c2 and group III phage vB_CjM-LmqsCP1-1 demonstrated significant efficacy.
• This phage combination is most promising for practical applications against Campylobacter coli and Campylobacter jejuni.

Conclusions:

• Planktonic killing assays are a valuable tool for straightforward Campylobacter phage cocktail design.
• The tested phage combination offers a promising avenue for controlling Campylobacter infections.
• Further research into phage-bacteria interactions can advance phage-based therapeutic strategies.