superinfection drives Pf phage transmission within airway infections in patients with cystic fibrosis.

Pf bacteriophages, lysogenic viruses that infect are implicated in the pathogenesis of chronic infections; phage-infected (Pf+) strains are known to predominate in people with cystic fibrosis (pwCF) who are older and have more severe disease. However, the transmission patterns of Pf underlying the progressive dominance of Pf+ strains are unclear. In particular, it is unknown whether phage transmission commonly occurs horizontally between bacteria within the airway via viral particles or if Pf+ bacteria are mostly acquired via new infections.

Prophages are Infrequently Associated With Antibiotic Resistance in Clinical Isolates.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a significant obstacle to the treatment of bacterial infections, including in the context of infections in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). Lysogenic bacteriophages can integrate their genome into the bacterial chromosome and are known to promote genetic transfer between bacterial strains. However, the contribution of lysogenic phages to the incidence of AMR is poorly understood.

Re-assessing thermal response of schistosomiasis transmission risk: evidence for a higher thermal optimum than previously predicted.

The geographical range of schistosomiasis is affected by the ecology of schistosome parasites and their obligate host snails, including their response to temperature. Previous models predicted schistosomiasis' thermal optimum at 21.7 °C, which is not compatible with the temperature in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) regions where schistosomiasis is hyperendemic.

Targeted deletion of Pf prophages from diverse isolates has differential impacts on quorum sensing and virulence traits.

is an opportunistic bacterial pathogen that commonly causes medical hardware, wound, and respiratory infections. Temperate filamentous Pf phages that infect impact numerous virulence phenotypes. Most work on Pf phages has focused on Pf4 and its host PAO1.

Rapid assessment of changes in phage bioactivity using dynamic light scattering.

Extensive efforts are underway to develop bacteriophages as therapies against antibiotic-resistant bacteria. However, these efforts are confounded by the instability of phage preparations and a lack of suitable tools to assess active phage concentrations over time. In this study, we use dynamic light scattering (DLS) to measure changes in phage physical state in response to environmental factors and time, finding that phages tend to decay and form aggregates and that the degree of aggregation can be used to predict phage bioactivity.

Targeted deletion of Pf prophages from diverse isolates impacts quorum sensing and virulence traits.

is an opportunistic bacterial pathogen that commonly causes medical hardware, wound, and respiratory infections. Temperate filamentous Pf phages that infect impact numerous bacterial virulence phenotypes. Most work on Pf phages has focused on strain Pf4 and its host PAO1.

Rapid assessment of changes in phage bioactivity using dynamic light scattering.

Extensive efforts are underway to develop bacteriophages as therapies against antibiotic-resistant bacteria. However, these efforts are confounded by the instability of phage preparations and a lack of suitable tools to assess active phage concentrations over time. Here, we use Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) to measure changes in phage physical state in response to environmental factors and time, finding that phages tend to decay and form aggregates and that the degree of aggregation can be used to predict phage bioactivity.

Climatic, land-use and socio-economic factors can predict malaria dynamics at fine spatial scales relevant to local health actors: Evidence from rural Madagascar.

While much progress has been achieved over the last decades, malaria surveillance and control remain a challenge in countries with limited health care access and resources. High-resolution predictions of malaria incidence using routine surveillance data could represent a powerful tool to health practitioners by targeting malaria control activities where and when they are most needed. Here, we investigate the predictors of spatio-temporal malaria dynamics in rural Madagascar, estimated from facility-based passive surveillance data.

Filamentous Bacteriophages and the Competitive Interaction between Pseudomonas aeruginosa Strains under Antibiotic Treatment: a Modeling Study.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa () is a major bacterial pathogen responsible for chronic lung infections in cystic fibrosis patients. Recent work has implicated Pf bacteriophages, nonlytic filamentous viruses produced by , in the chronicity and severity of infections. Pf phages act as structural elements in biofilms and sequester aerosolized antibiotics, thereby contributing to antibiotic tolerance.

Pf Bacteriophage and Their Impact on Pseudomonas Virulence, Mammalian Immunity, and Chronic Infections.

Pf bacteriophage are temperate phages that infect the bacterium , a major cause of chronic lung infections in cystic fibrosis (CF) and other settings. Pf and other temperate phages have evolved complex, mutualistic relationships with their bacterial hosts that impact both bacterial phenotypes and chronic infection. We and others have reported that Pf phages are a virulence factor that promote the pathogenesis of infections in animal models and are associated with worse skin and lung infections in humans.

Impact of Lytic Phages on Phosphorus- vs. Nitrogen-Limited Marine Microbes.

Lytic viruses kill almost 20% of marine bacteria every day, re-routing nutrients away from the higher trophic levels of the marine food web and back in the microbial loop. Importantly, the effect of this inflow of key elements on the ecosystem depends on the nutrient requirements of bacteria as well as on the elemental composition of the viruses that infect them. Therefore, the influence of viruses on the ecosystem could vary depending on which nutrient is limiting.