Phage amplification coupled with loop-mediated isothermal amplification (PA-LAMP) for same-day detection of viable Salmonella Enteritidis in raw poultry meat.

Salmonella Enteritidis is the main serotype responsible for human salmonellosis in the European Union. One of the main sources of Salmonella spp. in the food chain are poultry products, such as eggs or chicken meat.

Fighting Methicillin-Resistant with Targeted Nanoparticles.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is considered one of the greatest threats to global health. Methicillin-resistant (MRSA) remains at the core of this threat, accounting for about 90% of infections widespread in the community and hospital settings. In recent years, the use of nanoparticles (NPs) has emerged as a promising strategy to treat MRSA infections.

Targeted Antimicrobial Photodynamic Therapy of Biofilm-Embedded and Intracellular Staphylococci with a Phage Endolysin's Cell Binding Domain.

Bacterial pathogens are progressively adapting to current antimicrobial therapies with severe consequences for patients and global health care systems. This is critically underscored by the rise of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and other biofilm-forming staphylococci. Accordingly, alternative strategies have been explored to fight such highly multidrug resistant microorganisms, including antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) and phage therapy.

Exploitation of a Bacteriophage Receptor-Binding Protein as a Superior Biorecognition Molecule.

is a Gram-negative bacterium that has become one of the leading causes of life-threatening healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), including pneumonia and sepsis. Moreover, due to its increasingly antibiotic resistance, has been declared a global top priority concern. The problem of infections is due, in part, to the inability to detect this pathogen rapidly and accurately and thus to treat patients within the early stages of infections.

The first sequenced Sphaerotilus natans bacteriophage- characterization and potential to control its filamentous bacterium host.

Bacteriophages (phages) are ubiquitous entities present in every conceivable habitat as a result of their bacterial parasitism. Their prevalence and impact in the ecology of bacterial communities and their ability to control pathogens make their characterization essential, particularly of new phages, improving knowledge and potential application. The isolation and characterization of a new lytic phage against Sphaerotilus natans strain DSM 6575, named vB_SnaP-R1 (SnaR1), is here described.

Bacteriophage Cocktail-Mediated Inhibition of Biofilm on Endotracheal Tube Surface.

Although different strategies to control biofilm formation on endotracheal tubes have been proposed, there are scarce scientific data on applying phages for both removing and preventing biofilms on the device surface. Here, the anti-biofilm capacity of five bacteriophages was evaluated by a high content screening assay. We observed that biofilms were significantly reduced after phage treatment, especially in multidrug-resistant strains.

Identification and Characterization of New Bacteriophages to Control Multidrug-Resistant Biofilm on Endotracheal Tubes.

Studies involving antimicrobial-coated endotracheal tubes are scarce, and new approaches to control multidrug-resistant biofilm on these devices should be investigated. In this study, five new bacteriophages from domestic sewage were isolated. All of them belong to the order , family.

Bacteriophage-receptor binding proteins for multiplex detection of Staphylococcus and Enterococcus in blood.

Healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs) affect hundreds of millions of patients, representing a significant burden for public health. They are usually associated to multidrug resistant bacteria, which increases their incidence and severity. Bloodstream infections are among the most frequent and life-threatening HCAIs, with Enterococcus and Staphylococcus among the most common isolated pathogens.

A novel flow cytometry assay based on bacteriophage-derived proteins for Staphylococcus detection in blood.

Bloodstream infections (BSIs) are considered a major cause of death worldwide. Staphylococcus spp. are one of the most BSIs prevalent bacteria, classified as high priority due to the increasing multidrug resistant strains.

Bacteriophage-Based Biotechnological Applications.

Phages have shown a high biotechnological potential with numerous applications. The advent of high-resolution microscopy techniques aligned with omic and molecular tools are revealing innovative phage features and enabling new processes that can be further exploited for biotechnological applications in a wide variety of fields. This special issue is a collection of original and review articles focusing on the most recent advances in phage-based biotechnology with applications for human benefit.

Synergistic Action of Phage and Antibiotics: Parameters to Enhance the Killing Efficacy Against Mono and Dual-Species Biofilms.

and are opportunistic pathogens and are commonly found in polymicrobial biofilm-associated diseases, namely chronic wounds. Their co-existence in a biofilm contributes to an increased tolerance of the biofilm to antibiotics. Combined treatments of bacteriophages and antibiotics have shown a promising antibiofilm activity, due to the profound differences in their mechanisms of action.

Identification of the first endolysin Cell Binding Domain (CBD) targeting Paenibacillus larvae.

Bacteriophage endolysins present enormous biotechnological potentials and have been successfully used to control and detect bacterial pathogens. Endolysins targeting Gram-positive bacteria are modular, displaying a cell binding (CBD) and an enzymatically active domain. The CBD of phage endolysins are recognized by their high specificity and host affinity, characteristics that make them promising diagnostic tools.

Functional Analysis and Antivirulence Properties of a New Depolymerase from a Myovirus That Infects Acinetobacter baumannii Capsule K45.

is an important pathogen causative of health care-associated infections and is able to rapidly develop resistance to all known antibiotics, including colistin. As an alternative therapeutic agent, we have isolated a novel myovirus (vB_AbaM_B9) which specifically infects and makes lysis from without in strains of the K45 and K30 capsule types, respectively. Phage B9 has a genome of 93,641 bp and encodes 167 predicted proteins, of which 29 were identified by mass spectrometry.

Exploiting Bacteriophage Proteomes: The Hidden Biotechnological Potential.

Bacteriophages encode many distinct proteins for the successful infection of a bacterial host. Each protein plays a specific role in the phage replication cycle, from host recognition, through takeover of the host machinery, and up to cell lysis for progeny release. As the roles of these proteins are being revealed, more biotechnological applications can be anticipated.

Characterization of a New Staphylococcus aureus Kayvirus Harboring a Lysin Active against Biofilms.

is one of the most relevant opportunistic pathogens involved in many biofilm-associated diseases, and is a major cause of nosocomial infections, mainly due to the increasing prevalence of multidrug-resistant strains. Consequently, alternative methods to eradicate the pathogen are urgent. It has been previously shown that polyvalent staphylococcal kayviruses and their derived endolysins are excellent candidates for therapy.

The First Paenibacillus larvae Bacteriophage Endolysin (PlyPl23) with High Potential to Control American Foulbrood.

Endolysins, which are peptidoglycan-degrading enzymes expressed during the terminal stage of the reproduction cycle of bacteriophages, have great potential to control Gram-positive pathogens. This work describes the characterization of a novel endolysin (PlyPl23) encoded on the genome of Paenibacillus larvae phage phiIBB_Pl23 with high potential to control American foulbrood. This bacterial disease, caused by P.

Population dynamics of a Salmonella lytic phage and its host: implications of the host bacterial growth rate in modelling.

The prevalence and impact of bacteriophages in the ecology of bacterial communities coupled with their ability to control pathogens turn essential to understand and predict the dynamics between phage and bacteria populations. To achieve this knowledge it is essential to develop mathematical models able to explain and simulate the population dynamics of phage and bacteria. We have developed an unstructured mathematical model using delay-differential equations to predict the interactions between a broad-host-range Salmonella phage and its pathogenic host.

Molecular aspects and comparative genomics of bacteriophage endolysins.

Phages are recognized as the most abundant and diverse entities on the planet. Their diversity is determined predominantly by their dynamic adaptation capacities when confronted with different selective pressures in an endless cycle of coevolution with a widespread group of bacterial hosts. At the end of the infection cycle, progeny virions are confronted with a rigid cell wall that hinders their release into the environment and the opportunity to start a new infection cycle.