Bacteriophage News and Research

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Bacteriophages are small, virus-like organisms that infect bacteria. They are comprised of a protein capsule around an RNA or DNA genome.

Genetically modified bacteria create protective shield against Salmonella attacks

The mammalian gut microbiome is teeming with a delicate balance of bacteria and the viruses that keep them in check, called bacteriophages, or phages.

16 Sep 2026

Engineered immune cells help eliminate severe bacterial infections effectively

Severe bacterial infections remain a major global health challenge because antibiotics alone often fail when the host immune system becomes dysfunctional.

17 Aug 2026

Phages explode bacteria to share vital vitamin B12 with microbes

Vitamin B12 is biological gold. All living organisms need a little bit of it to form red blood cells and DNA, as well as to build and support brain and nerve cells.

7 Aug 2026

Researchers use AI to design functional bacteriophage genomes from scratch

Using AI, researchers have designed complete, functional bacteriophage genomes from scratch and tested them against bacteria that had evolved resistance to a natural bacteriophage.

7 Aug 2026

Major clinical trial aims to transform the prevention of recurrent urinary tract infections

European-funded consortium brings together researchers from 13 countries to evaluate bacteriophage therapy as a potential alternative to antibiotics for recurrent urinary tract infections.

28 Jul 2026

New framework redefines phage therapy for combating antimicrobial resistance

A new perspective article in Biocontaminant proposes a three-part evolutionary framework for using bacteriophages to better control antimicrobial resistance.

2 Jul 2026

Researchers map structural changes of viruses during the dehydration process

Abhishek Mall from the Max Planck Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter in Hamburg (MPSD) and his colleagues explored the structural dynamics of the protein shells - called capsids - that enclose the genetic material of viruses.

30 Jun 2026

Synthetic biology platform unmasks hidden bacterial targets of bacteriophages

An interdisciplinary team of Rice University researchers has uncovered previously unknown relationships between bacteriophages - viruses that infect bacteria - and their bacterial hosts, offering a powerful new tool for next-generation microbiome engineering.

17 Jun 2026

Researchers discover 45 new toxins produced by Salmonella bacteria

Researchers at the University of São Paulo (USP) in Brazil have discovered 45 new toxins produced by Salmonella bacteria, some of which are associated with foodborne infections.

11 Jun 2026

Gladstone receives NIAID grant to establish the Center for PhAIge Therapy

When a bacterial infection stops responding to antibiotics, doctors have few options to treat it. Phages-viruses that naturally infect and kill bacteria-have long intrigued clinicians as a potential weapon against these infections.

2 Jun 2026

Coffee impacts the gut-brain axis to improve mood and stress

New research from APC Microbiome Ireland, a world leading research centre at University College Cork, has comprehensively explored the mechanisms behind coffee's positive effects on the gut-brain axis for the first time.

21 Apr 2026

Cholera-causing bacteria and viruses locked in evolutionary arms race

Cholera-causing bacteria are locked in an evolutionary arms race with a viral nemesis, according to a new genomic study.

1 Apr 2026

Novel bacteriophage offers a promising biocontrol solution against foodborne Salmonella

Researchers from China have identified a novel bacteriophage that offers a highly promising "green" biocontrol solution against foodborne Salmonella.

26 Mar 2026

Gut microbes may drive memory decline during aging by disrupting vagal brain signaling

Researchers identified in mice a microbiome–gut–brain pathway in which age-associated changes in gut microbes increase medium-chain fatty acids that impair vagal sensory signaling and hippocampal activity. These interoceptive disruptions weaken memory formation, revealing a microbial mechanism that contributes to cognitive decline during aging.

12 Mar 2026

How the aging gastrointestinal tract drives age-related cognitive decline

We become forgetful as we age. This is often seen as a universal truth, but in fact it is far from universal: some people remain incredibly sharp at 100 years old, while others experience memory loss starting in middle age.

11 Mar 2026

CRISPR gene-drive technology reverses antibiotic resistance in bacteria

Antibiotic resistance (AR) has steadily accelerated in recent years to become a global health crisis. As deadly bacteria evolve new ways to elude drug treatments for a variety of illnesses, a growing number of "superbugs" have emerged, ramping up estimates of more than 10 million worldwide deaths per year by 2050.

7 Feb 2026