Bacteriophage-based control of bacterial pathogens

Bacteriophages (or phages) are arguably the oldest and most abundant entities on earth, yet their remarkable antibacterial activity has historically been fairly unexplored in the scientific community. However, interest in phages has rapidly increased in recent years, being prompted by both the emergence of antibiotic resistance and an increased demand for natural, non-chemical approaches to managing bacteria. This talk provided a brief history of phages, an overview of their mechanisms of action, and a discussion of the many ways the power of phages is being harnessed and used today, from human therapy to biodefense to food safety and beyond.

Our speaker, Joelle Woolston, is the VP of Lab Operations at Intralytix, Inc., a Maryland biotechnology company focused on the discovery, production and marketing of bacteriophage-based products to control bacterial pathogens in environmental, agricultural, food processing, and medical settings.