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

The Phage Therapy Paradigm: Ready-to-Wear or Tailor-Made? Introduction: A Therapeutic Crossroads in the Post-Antibiotic Era In the shadow of mounting antibiotic resistance and a stagnant drug development pipeline, the global medical community is facing a critical dilemma. Bacterial pathogens have evolved mechanisms to evade virtually all existing antibiotics, culminating in so-called "superbugs" that defy standard treatments. In this context of urgency, bacteriophages—viruses that specifically target and kill bacteria—have re-emerged as a potential solution to this global health crisis. In their 2010 paper, “The Phage Therapy Paradigm: Prêt-à-Porter or Sur-Mesure?” , Pirnay and colleagues reflect on whether phage therapy should follow a mass-produced model akin to antibiotics or embrace a personalized, adaptive approach tailored to individual infections. Figure 1 of the original paper Bacteriophages: A Forgotten Therapeutic Arsenal Bacteriophages, or simply "phages,...

The Eliava Phage Therapy Center: A Legacy of Innovation and a Beacon in the Fight Against Antibiotic Resistance A Soviet Genesis in a Pre-Antibiotic Era The Eliava Phage Therapy Center in Tbilisi, Georgia, is one of the world’s oldest and most influential institutions dedicated to bacteriophage research and clinical application. It was founded in 1923 by Georgian microbiologist Giorgi Eliava, in collaboration with Félix d’Hérelle, the co-discoverer of bacteriophages. The center emerged at a time when the Soviet Union was heavily investing in public health infrastructure and saw potential in phage therapy to control infectious diseases. Unlike in the West, where antibiotics like penicillin would soon dominate infectious disease treatment, the Soviet bloc sustained interest in phage therapy through the 20th century. This persistence was largely due to geopolitical isolation, limited access to Western pharmaceuticals, and a state-supported research ecosystem that nurtured alternative b...

Trapping a Cure: How Optical Nanotweezers Are Accelerating Precision Phage Therapy In the escalating battle against antibiotic resistance, bacteriophages — viruses that infect and destroy bacteria — have re-emerged as a promising therapeutic alternative. But while their specificity is one of their greatest strengths, it also presents a major challenge: how to quickly identify the right phage for the right infection. Now, researchers at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) are leveraging cutting-edge physics to solve this problem with extraordinary precision. Using advanced nanophotonic techniques, the EPFL team has developed what they call “optical nanotweezers” — a method that uses focused laser light to trap and analyze individual phages in real time . This tool doesn’t just improve phage selection. It revolutionizes it , transforming what was once a slow, trial-and-error process into a highly selective, data-driven procedure measurable in minutes. Artistic view The...

Introduction Bacteriophages—viruses that infect bacteria—are among the most fascinating and widely studied biological entities. Their ability to hijack bacterial cells for reproduction has made them central to many breakthroughs in molecular biology. Two phages in particular, T4 and lambda (λ) , have become canonical models. While they both infect Escherichia coli and share many structural and genetic features, they diverge fundamentally in their life strategies. Phage T4 is a classic example of a lytic phage , one that invariably kills its host. In contrast, phage lambda is a temperate phage capable of either lysing the host or integrating silently into the bacterial genome—a strategic duality with profound biological implications. This article explores their similarities, fundamental differences , and what these tell us about viral evolution, gene regulation, and therapeutic potential. What T4 and Lambda Have in Common Despite their different fates within the host, T4 and l...

What If Antibiotics Stopped Working? Understanding Antibiotic Resistance and the Revival of Bacteriophage Therapy In the golden age of antibiotics, few could imagine a world where bacterial infections were again life-threatening. But today, that future is no longer hypothetical. Antibiotic resistance is accelerating at a pace that alarms global health experts, creating what many have termed a “silent pandemic.” The World Health Organization has declared antimicrobial resistance (AMR) one of the top 10 global public health threats facing humanity. In this context, a century-old biological weapon— bacteriophages —is being re-evaluated not just as an alternative, but as a necessity. Artistic view The Scale of the Problem Antibiotics, introduced widely in the 1940s, have saved hundreds of millions of lives. Yet overuse, misuse, and agricultural dependence have led to the rise of resistant bacteria. Today: 1.27 million people died globally in 2019 as a direct result of antibiotic-res...

Penicillin and the Eclipse of Phage Therapy in Western Medicine (1928–1950) Abstract: The period between the late 1920s and the mid-20th century witnessed a fundamental transformation in antimicrobial therapeutics. Bacteriophage therapy, once a promising solution to bacterial infections, saw increasing use in European clinics during the interwar years. However, the discovery and mass production of penicillin during World War II radically shifted clinical priorities. This article examines the rise of penicillin and the scientific, clinical, and industrial dynamics that led to the displacement of phage therapy in Western medical practice by 1950. Introduction: A Divided Therapeutic Landscape In the interwar period, Western medicine faced a crisis of infectious disease without a universal remedy. While chemical antiseptics and arsenical compounds like Salvarsan were used for certain infections, many remained untreatable. Bacteriophage therapy emerged as a candidate solution, particula...

Understanding Bacteriophage Life Cycles: The Lytic and Lysogenic Pathways Bacteriophages, or phages for short, are viruses that infect and replicate within bacteria. They are the most abundant biological entities on Earth, with an estimated 10³¹ particles—more than all the stars in the universe. But despite their microscopic size, phages have a massive influence on microbial ecosystems, human health, and the future of medicine. At the core of how phages function are two distinct reproductive strategies: the lytic cycle and the lysogenic cycle . Understanding these two pathways is essential for grasping how phage therapy works, how bacterial populations are controlled in nature, and how genetic material can be transferred between microorganisms. The Lytic Cycle: Destruction for Reproduction In the lytic cycle, a phage takes over a bacterium with the sole purpose of producing as many new phage particles as possible. The process is swift and lethal to the host cell. Stages of the ly...