Reinventing the fight against bacteria, one phage at a time.

Interview with Bassim Karaman on phage therapy Bassim Karaman recounts his medical journey after undergoing knee replacement surgery and developing an infection. Karaman was treated with phages at the Geneva University Hospitals, which most likely saved him from having to have his leg amputated. More information at https://forumphage.ch 0:00 What happened after the knee replacement 3:54 Living with an infection and no joint in his left knee 4:51 Dead end 5:46 The hope of phage therapy 6:24 Phage treatment 7:10 Effects of treatment 8:02 After phage treatment: one in two germs reappears 9:15 Three years later 10:35 But osteoarthritis remains 11:18 Is there a need for phage therapy?

Interview on phage therapy with Dr. Truong-Thanh Pham, HUG (French with subtitles) Infectious disease specialist Truong-Thanh Pham, from the Geneva University Hospitals (HUG), tells us about the consequences of antibiotic resistance for his patients, phage therapy, and how he most likely prevented a patient (Bassim Karaman) from having to have his leg amputated using phages. Pham also discusses the current obstacles to phage therapy and ways to improve the situation. More information at https://phagenforum.ch/fr/ 0:00 What types of antibiotic resistance do you encounter in the clinic? 1:20 What does this mean for your patients with infected implants? 2:06 What is the impact on patients' quality of life? 2:46 Can you talk about Mr. Karaman, whom you treated with phages for an infected knee prosthesis? 3:37 What would have been the consequences for Mr. Karaman if no treatment had been effective? 4:18 How did the phage treatment go? 5:12 In your opinion, what are the str...

Viruses, a hope against antibiotic resistance Antibiotic-resistant germs are posing increasing challenges to medicine. There is a great need for complementary treatments. One of these could be phage therapy, as a new film shows. Image:  Andres Jordi Phages are viruses that only attack and destroy bacteria. This can be used as therapy if a virus adapted to the pathogenic bacteria is found. In Switzerland, phages can currently only be used in emergencies. But how exactly does phage therapy work? How and where is it already used? And what are its limitations? The film "Phage Therapy – Medicine Goes Viral" by science journalist Thomas Häusler, produced for the Forum for Genetic Research, answers these and many other questions. Available with english subtitles ! Copyright belongs to, taken from :  https://geneticresearch.scnat.ch/fr/uuid/i/6e5fc24b-fe38-5822-8d4d-28af9bd5caa1-Les_virus_un_espoir_contre_la_r%C3%A9sistance_aux_antibiotiques

How Fast Do Bacteriophages Evolve and Adapt to Bacteria? Introduction Bacteriophages (phages) are viruses that infect and replicate within bacterial hosts. As obligate parasites, they are engaged in a continuous evolutionary arms race with bacteria. The rate at which phages evolve has profound implications for microbial ecology, the development of phage therapy, and the understanding of virus–host co-evolution in general. This article explores how rapidly phages can adapt to bacterial defenses, what factors influence this speed, and how it compares to bacterial resistance and other evolutionary systems. Insights are drawn from experimental evolution studies, mathematical models, and natural ecosystems, including the key contribution by De Paepe & Taddei (2006) on phage life-history trade-offs. Illustration:  A Primer on Phage-Bacterium Antagonistic Coevolution,  https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-94309-7_25 Bacteriophage Evolution: A Dynamic Arms Race...

Can Bacteria Become Resistant to Bacteriophages Like They Do with Antibiotics? Introduction Bacteriophages (phages)—viruses that infect and kill bacteria—have gained renewed attention as potential alternatives or complements to antibiotics, particularly in the context of rising antimicrobial resistance. Phage therapy, long used in parts of Eastern Europe, is being reconsidered globally as a solution to drug-resistant infections. However, a crucial question arises: can bacteria become resistant to phages in the same way they become resistant to antibiotics? The short answer is yes—bacteria can evolve resistance to bacteriophages, but the underlying mechanisms, evolutionary dynamics, and clinical consequences are distinct from those associated with antibiotic resistance. This article explores the diverse strategies bacteria employ to resist phage infection, the evolutionary implications of phage-bacteria interactions, and how this resistance differs from antibiotic resistance. Mecha...

Why Don’t Bacteriophages Infect Human Cells? Introduction Bacteriophages, or simply phages, are viruses that specifically infect bacteria. They are the most abundant biological entities on Earth, found in virtually every environment inhabited by bacteria, including the human body. Despite their ubiquity and close contact with humans, phages do not infect human cells. This raises a fundamental question: why are bacteriophages unable to infect human cells? The answer lies in the complex interplay of molecular recognition, host specificity, and cellular mechanisms of infection. This article explores the biological barriers that prevent phage infection in humans, with a particular focus on phage-host specificity and viral entry mechanisms. Illustration :   Interactions of Bacteriophages with Animal and Human Organisms—Safety Issues in the Light of Phage Therapy,  https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/22/16/8937 Host Specificity and Receptor Recognition The primary reason bacteri...

PhageLine : Bridging the Gap Between Cutting-Edge Phage Research and Public Understanding In an era where science is advancing at an extraordinary pace, the challenge is no longer only to produce knowledge, but to communicate it—clearly, accurately, and in ways that resonate beyond the boundaries of academia. Podcasts have emerged as one of the most effective tools for science communication, offering an intimate and flexible medium to explore complex topics without oversimplifying them. PhageLine is a podcast that fully embraces this mission. Dedicated to the intricate world of bacteriophages, it brings rigorous, peer-reviewed research to life through concise, well-structured audio episodes that are as intellectually engaging as they are accessible. Bacteriophages—viruses that infect and destroy bacteria—are at the center of a growing scientific and medical revolution. For decades, phages remained in the shadows of microbiology, mostly studied by specialists and largely unknown to t...

Salmonella Phage 9NA Characteristics Introduction to Salmonella Phage 9NA Salmonella phage 9NA, also known as Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium bacteriophage 9NA or Enterobacteriophage 9NA, is a bacteriophage that specifically targets and infects Salmonella bacteria. Bacteriophages, or phages, are viruses that infect bacteria and can be highly specific to certain strains, making them useful tools in microbiology, food safety, and medical research. Taken from :  https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/jvi.00848-19 Here is an electronic micrographe representative of the Salmonella9na phage, highlighting its icosaedrical head (about 60nm in diameter) and its long non-contractile tail typical of siphovirus. Characteristics and Genomics Salmonella phage 9NA is classified as a member of the Podoviridae family, characterized by its small size and short, non-contractile tail. The genome of Salmonella phage 9NA consists of double-stranded DNA, and studies have shown that it has a high de...