Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 23, 2025
07:22
Bacteriophage Effectiveness for Biocontrol of Foodborne Pathogens Evaluated via High-Throughput Settings
Published on: August 19, 2021
2.9K
Bacteriophages Isolation and Efficacy Testing
Ayesha Lone1, Carlos E Martinez-Soto1,2, Hany Anany3,4
1Guelph Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Guelph, ON, Canada.
Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton, N.J.)
|June 18, 2024
Summary
This protocol details isolating bacteriophages (phages), viruses that infect bacteria, from environmental samples. It covers enrichment, purification, and propagation methods to obtain high-titer phage lysates for potential therapeutic use.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Virology
- Environmental Science
Background:
- Bacteriophages (phages) are viruses infecting bacteria and are highly abundant.
- Phages are explored as alternatives to antibiotics for targeting antimicrobial-resistant bacteria.
- Isolation and characterization of phages are crucial before therapeutic application.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide a comprehensive protocol for isolating and propagating bacteriophages from environmental sources.
- To outline methods for testing phage purity and lytic activity.
- To enable the production of high-titer phage lysates.
Main Methods:
- Enrichment and processing of raw environmental samples (seawater, sludge, soil).
- Testing for bacteriophage lytic activity against bacterial hosts.
- Isolation, purification, and plaque picking of bacteriophages.
- Propagation of phages using liquid and solid culture techniques.
Main Results:
- Successful isolation and purification of bacteriophages from diverse environmental samples.
- Verification of lytic activity against target bacterial pathogens.
- Generation of high-titer crude phage lysates suitable for further study.
Conclusions:
- The described protocol provides a robust method for bacteriophage isolation and propagation.
- This methodology is essential for developing phage-based therapies against bacterial infections.
- Environmental bacteriophages represent a promising resource for combating antimicrobial resistance.
Related Concept Videos
01:30Lytic Cycle of Bacteriophages
70.6K
Bacteriophages, also known as phages, are specialized viruses that infect bacteria. A key characteristic of phages is their distinctive “head-tail” morphology. A phage begins the infection process (i.e., lytic cycle) by attaching to the outside of a bacterial cell. Attachment is accomplished via proteins in the phage tail that bind to specific receptor proteins on the outer surface of the bacterium. The tail injects the phage’s DNA genome into the bacterial cytoplasm. In the...
70.6K
00:43Lysogenic Cycle of Bacteriophages
62.1K
In contrast to the lytic cycle, phages infecting bacteria via the lysogenic cycle do not immediately kill their host cell. Instead, they combine their genome with the host genome, allowing the bacteria to replicate the phage DNA along with the bacterial genome. The incorporated copy of the phage genome is called the prophage. Some prophages can re-activate and enter the lytic cycle. This often occurs in response to a perturbation, such as DNA damage, but can also transpire in the absence of...
62.1K