Bacteriophages and its applications: an overview

Abstract

Bacteriophages (or phages), the most abundant viral entity of the planet, are omni-present in all the ecosystems. On the basis of their unique characteristics and anti-bacterial property, phages are being freshly evaluated taxonomically. Phages replicate inside the host either by lytic or lysogenic mode after infecting and using the cellular machinery of a bacterium. Since their discovery by Twort and d'Herelle in the early 1900s, phage became an important agent for combating pathogenic bacteria in clinical treatments and its related research gained momentum. However, due to recent emergence of bacterial resistance on antibiotics, applications of phage (phage therapy) become an inevitable option of research. Phage particles become popular as a biotechnological tool and treatment of pathogenic bacteria in a range of applied areas. However, there are few concerns over the application of phage-based solutions. This review deals with the updated phage taxonomy (ICTV 2015 Release and subsequent revision) and phage biology and the recent development of its application in the areas of biotechnology, biosensor, therapeutic medicine, food preservation, aquaculture diseases, pollution remediation, and wastewater treatment and issues related with limitations of phage-based remedy.

Abundance and diversity of phages, microbial taxa and antibiotic resistance genes in the sediments of the river Ganges through metagenomic approach

“…Viruses including phages (viral parasites of bacteria) are the most abundant biological bodies on the earth ecosystem. Phages play an important role and have wide applications from medical sciences to food safety [75, 76]. Bacteriophages are known for their highly specific bactericidal activity without influencing the natural flora.…”

“…They are also known to effect and shape structure of bacterial community [10]. Applications of bacteriophages or phage cocktails for the treatment of multiple diseases like diabetic foot ulcer, leg ulcer, chronic otitis and burn wound infection are shown in various studies and clinical trials [75, 77-79]. Also, prompt escalation in the antibiotic resistance bacteria has recommenced focus on the phage therapy [76].…”

Isolation and Characterization of Lytic Bacteriophages from Wastewater and its Application in Pathogen Reduction

“…Bacteriophages (or phages) are ubiquitous in every ecosystem including human gut [1][2][3] . Bacteriophages against human pathogenic bacteria-Salmonella, Escherichia coli, and Bacteroides fragilis are abundant in feces, due to which wastewater receiving fecal matters harbor diverse bacteriophages 4 .…”

“…Bacteriophages against human pathogenic bacteria-Salmonella, Escherichia coli, and Bacteroides fragilis are abundant in feces, due to which wastewater receiving fecal matters harbor diverse bacteriophages 4 . Therefore, sewage is one of the rich sources of bacteriophages against pathogenic bacteria prevalent in a population, which could be harnessed for applications in a wide variety of settings, including clinics, industries and in treatment of wastes 3,5 . In particular, bacteriophages infecting various members of the bacterial family Enterobacteriaceae are predominantly present in wastewater 6 .…”

“…In particular, bacteriophages infecting various members of the bacterial family Enterobacteriaceae are predominantly present in wastewater 6 . Phages being natural and self-replicating enemies to bacteria, are increasingly being considered for bacterial control in a wide variety of settings ranging from wastewater treatment to therapeutic applications 3 .…”