What is phage biology?

Phage biology is the scientific discipline concerned with the study of all biological aspects of bacteriophages (phages), which are viruses that infect bacteria. This includes the distribution, biochemistry, physiology, cell biology, ecology, evolution and applications of phages.

What application have phages been used for?

Phages have been used against diarrheal diseases caused by E. coli, Shigella or Vibrio and against wound infections caused by facultative pathogens of the skin like staphylococci and streptococci.

What are 3 types of phages?

There are three basic structural forms of phage: an icosahedral (20-sided) head with a tail, an icosahedral head without a tail, and a filamentous form.

What are the basic features of bacteriophages?

Characteristics of a Bacteriophage Like all other viruses, they are simple organisms consisting of a core of genetic material surrounded by a protein capsid. The genetic material can either be DNA or RNA in the bacteriophages.

What is another name for phage?

A bacteriophage (/bækˈtɪərioʊfeɪdʒ/), also known informally as a phage (/ˈfeɪdʒ/), is a virus that infects and replicates within bacteria and archaea. The term was derived from “bacteria” and the Greek φαγεῖν (phagein), meaning “to devour”.

What is the purpose of bacteriophage?

Bacteriophages (BPs) are viruses that can infect and kill bacteria without any negative effect on human or animal cells. For this reason, it is supposed that they can be used, alone or in combination with antibiotics, to treat bacterial infections.

What are the functions of bacteriophages?

Bacteriophage enzymes destroy the bacterial cell wall from both outside and inside by hydrolyzing carbohydrate and protein components. All these proteins protect phage genetic material, secure injection of the phage nucleic acid into the bacterial cell, and promote phage propagation.

What are the two types of bacteriophage?

There are two primary types of bacteriophages: lytic bacteriophages and temperate bacteriophages. Bacteriophages that replicate through the lytic life cycle are called lytic bacteriophages, and are so named because they lyse the host bacterium as a normal part of their life cycle.

What is a bacteriophage?

Bacteriophages and its applications: an overview Bacteriophages (or phages), the most abundant viral entity of the planet, are omni-present in all the ecosystems. On the basis of their unique characteristics and anti-bacterial property, phages are being freshly evaluated taxonomically. Phages replicate inside the host either by lytic or lysogenic …

What are the phage types?

By morphology, phages can be tailed phages, polyhedral or cubic, filamentous or pleomorphic phages. -classified as order Caudovirales which further divided into three families: Myoviridae, Siphoviridae, and Podoviridae. Myoviridae phages- with icosahedral head, contractile tails, double-stranded DNA (dsDNA)

Can phage particles be used to treat bacteria?

Phage particles become popular as a biotechnological tool and treatment of pathogenic bacteria in a range of applied areas. However, there are few concerns over the application of phage-based solutions.

What is the role of phages in the treatment of Staphylococcus aureus?

S. aureus bacteriophages (phages) or their encoded products are considered an alternative to antibiotics as they have been shown to be effective in treating some S. aureus-associated infections.