Bacteriophage therapy and phage biocontrol

A little known, yet highly effective, therapy for human infectious diseases is bacteriophage therapy. Bacteriophage, or phage for short, are viruses of bacteria, meaning that bacteriophage therapy is a biological control concept, and is a natural approach to combat bacteria. As phage, like all viruses, are non-living entities, meaning they don’t fulfil the criteria for life, they are dependent on bacteria for their survival. Therefore, no (bacterial) host cells, no phage. Thus, it is impossible for them to proliferate out of control. While bacteriophage therapy for human infectious disease dates back around a hundred years at its peak, a newer concept is phage-based biocontrol of foodborne pathogens and bacterial spoilage microorganisms. This would tick all the boxes for a safe and effective, natural approach to handle the public and economic burden of foodborne disease, plus the economic losses associated with the growth of spoilage bacteria. Clean, green and natural – the future of food safety and food preservation?