This event will provide an introduction to phages and will showcase some of the techniques being developed by UK-based researchers and companies across the health and agrifood sectors that we can use to apply these helpful organisms.

Bacterial antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a persistent and growing global threat. Across the planet, bacteria are becoming resistant to the drugs and treatments that we have traditionally used to get rid of them. There is a worldwide movement to address AMR and preserve the antimicrobials that we already have. With the efficacy of current antibiotics and antimicrobials waning, it is imperative that alternative antimicrobials are developed.

Bacteriophages (phages) are a viable aid for addressing the global issue of AMR and sustaining the effectiveness of antibiotics. Phage-based technologies offer effective solutions in a variety of areas including those where antibiotics are no longer effective and cannot be relied on. Phages target and kill specific bacteria and this natural life cycle can be exploited in a wide range of antimicrobial applications across different sectors.

Phage-based technologies are being developed to remove foodborne pathogens from the food chain, to remove spoilage organisms from vegetables and reduce food waste, to treat multidrug resistant bacterial infections in humans, and to remove fish pathogens from fish farms. These are just some examples of the many potential applications for phage-based technologies.