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Understanding the Impact of Temperate Bacteriophages on Their Lysogens Through Transcriptomics
Published on: January 5, 2024
Advanced Strategies in Phage Research: Innovations, Applications, and Challenges
Pengfei Wu1, Wanwu Li1, Wenlu Zhang1
1Microbial Pathogen and Anti-Infection Research Group, School of Basic Medicine and Forensic Medicine, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang 471003, China.
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The escalating global threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) underscores the urgent need for innovative therapeutics. Bacteriophages (phages), natural bacterial predators, offer promising solutions, especially when harnessed through advances in artificial intelligence (AI). This review explores how AI-driven innovations are transforming phage biology, with an emphasis on three pivotal areas: (1) AI-enhanced structural prediction (e.g., AlphaFold); (2) deep learning functional annotation; (3) bioengineering strategies, including CRISPR-Cas. We further discuss applications extending to medical therapy, biosensing, agricultural biocontrol, and environmental remediation. Despite progress, critical challenges persist-including high false-positive rates, difficulties in modeling disordered protein regions, and biosafety concerns remain. Overcoming these requires experimental validation, robust computational frameworks, and global regulatory oversight. AI integration in phage research is accelerating the development of next-generation therapeutics to combat AMR and advance engineered living therapeutics.
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