Abstract
In this issue of the PHAGE journal, we are very pleased to present a collection of innovative studies that highlight various diverse applications and new insights into phage biology.
The cartoon by Dr. Ellie Jameson is a great teaser for our second article; however, we first present a very thought-provoking opinion piece by Brandon Berryhill from Emory University, Atlanta, USA, and Bruce Levin. Their article, “Semantics Count in the Description of the Interactions Between Bacteria and Bacteriophage,” is not purely about semantics and will help the phage community to consider how they use the terms “resistance” and “immunity” and to make sure the words are used correctly. Berryhill and Levin also discuss the implications of contextualizing these concepts correctly when assessing how phage interactions shape microbial ecosystems, particularly in phage therapy settings.
Next, we present the article led by Andrew Millard from the Becky Mayer Centre for Phage Research, Leicester, UK, the article that inspired this issue’s cartoon, “taxMyPhage: Automated taxonomy of dsDNA phage genomes at the genus and species level.” This study aims to help phage researchers quickly and easily classify phages of interest, allowing accurate phage classification and contextualisation to be made based on genomic data. You can find the weblink to see and use it at www.phagecompass.dk.
The antimicrobial potential of phage-derived peptides is showcased in a research article by Rachael Wilkinson et al., from the Healthcare Technology Centre, Swansea University Medical School, Swansea University, UK. Her study, “Phage-Encoded Antimicrobial Peptide gp28 demonstrates LL-37-Like Antimicrobial Activity Against Multidrug-Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa,” shows the incredible diversity of phage-encoded proteins that could be useful to combat multidrug-resistant bacterial strains. It also demonstrates that phage-encoded antimicrobial peptides represent a new and promising source of therapies.
Biofilm degradation in bacterial infections remains a persistent challenge, and Sahd Ali et al. from Aydin Adnan Menderes University, Aydin, Turkey, explore this in their paper “Degradation of preformed Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial biofilms using disintegrated and intact phages.” This study suggests that even phages which don’t lyse specific strains can still exert significant antibiofilm effects. They also show that phage structural proteins can be incredibly useful in our fight against biofilms.
We then present an article by Amit Rimon et al. from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel’s entitled “Six Novel Pseudomonas aeruginosa Phages: Genomic Insights and Therapeutic Potential.” The genomic insights provided by this study illustrate the development of effective phage-based treatments against resistant bacterial infections.
Finally, the discovery of the novel Morganella morganii phage vB_Mm5, one of very few phages isolated that target this organism, is presented by Rusudan Goliadze et al. from the George Eliava Institute of Bacteriophages, Microbiology and Virology, Tbilisi, Georgia. This phage’s tolerance to Cu2+ ions highlights the fascinating new biologies to be unraveled from phages when they are studied in detail and shows its potential as a promising candidate for therapeutic applications.
In summary, we hope you enjoy this issue of PHAGE, and we look forward to hearing from many of you as the year progresses,
Prof. Martha Clokie and Prof. Thomas Sicheritz-Pontén