This book gives a detailed yet clear insight into the current state of the art of the therapeutic application of bacteriophages in different conditions. The authors bring in their practical expertise within their respective fields of expertise and provide an excellent overview of the potential and actual use of phage therapy. Topics like economic feasibility compared to traditional antibiotics and also regulatory issues are discussed in far detail. This new volume is therefore a valuable resource for individuals engaged in the medical application of novel phage therapies.

Phage Therapy - Part A, Volume 200 is an informative text on phage and their use for treatment in bacterial infections. The book highlights a number of aspects of the phage in a way that can help students, researchers, clinicians, entrepreneurs and stakeholders perform their research with great interest. Chapters in this new release cover An introduction to bacteriophage and their therapeutic applications, Isolation, screening and characterization of phage, Synthetic phage and their application in phage therapy, Phage engineering for development of diagnostic tools, Phage design and directed evolution to evolve phage for therapy, and more. Additional sections cover Host-phage interactions and modelling for therapy, Phage and phage cocktails formulations, Phage for treatment of Escherichia coli infection, Phage for treatment of Klebsiella pneumoniae infection, Phage for treatment of Salmonella spp infection, Phage for treatment of Staphylococcus aureus infection, and Phages for treatment of Acinetobacter baumannii infection. - Includes discussions on phage isolation, screening and characterization - Covers synthetic phage, phage for diagnostic, directed evolution and host interaction - Presents the latest on phage for treatment of bacterial infections

This Research Topic is dedicated to Prof. Elisabeth Kutter on the occasion of her 80th birthday. Dr. Kutter’s career as a phage scientist has extended nearly 60 years. She has been a pioneer as a woman in science. She started to work with phage at the University of Rochester, New York working with Dr. Wiberg on radioisotopes making excellent progress in the field – progress which was even cited in Luria’s 1969 Nobel Prize talk. Betty first encountered phage therapy during a visit to Georgia in 1990 which was part of a longer stay in the former Soviet Union under a US-USSR research exchange program. Dr. Kutter was one of the first Americans to advocate for phage therapy in the post antibiotic era. Betty started hosting the Evergreen International Phage meetings in Olympia, Washington, from 1975 onward, which helped to develop a strong phage community with participation increasing over the years to 350 at the 23 rd biannual last year. Betty continues to be an active member in the phage community, sharing her experience and working with all of us toward her ultimate goal of making phage therapy available worldwide thus reducing the burden caused by antibiotic resistant bacterial infections.

With a history that likely dates back to the dawn of human civilization more than 10,000 years ago, and a record that includes the domestication and selective breeding of plants and animals, the harnessing of fermentation process for bread, cheese, and brewage production, and the development of vaccines against infectious diseases, biotechnology has acquired a molecular focus during the 20th century, particularly following the resolution of DNA double helix in 1953, and the publication of DNA cloning protocol in 1973, and transformed our concepts and practices in disease diagnosis, treatment and prevention, pharmaceutical and industrial manufacturing, animal and plant industry, and food processing. While molecular biotechnology offers unlimited opportunities for improving human health and well-being, animal welfare, agricultural innovation and environmental conservation, a dearth of high quality books that have the clarity of laboratory manuals without distractive procedural details and the thoroughness of well-conversed textbooks appears to dampen the enthusiasm of aspiring students. In attempt to fill this glaring gap, Handbook of Molecular Biotechnology includes four sections, with the first three presenting in-depth coverage on DNA, RNA and protein technologies, and the fourth highlighting their utility in biotechnology. Recognizing the importance of logical reasoning and experimental verification over direct observation and simple description in biotechnological research and development, the Introduction provides pertinent discussions on key strategies (i.e., be first, be better, and be different), effective thinking (lateral, parallel, causal, reverse, and random), and experimental execution, which have proven invaluable in helping advance research projects, evaluate and prepare research reports, and enhance other scientific endeavors. Key features Presents state-of-the-art reviews on DNA, RNA and protein technologies and their biotechnological applications Discusses key strategies, effective thinking, and experimental execution for scientific research and development Fills the gap left by detailed-ridden laboratory manuals and insight-lacking standard textbooks Includes expert contributions from international scientists at the forefront of molecular biotechnology research and development Written by international scientists at the forefront of molecular biotechnology research and development, chapters in this volume cover the histories, principles, and applications of individual techniques/technologies, and constitute stand-alone, yet interlinked lectures that strive to educate as well as to entertain. Besides providing an informative textbook for tertiary students in molecular biotechnology and related fields, this volume serves as an indispensable roadmap for novice scientists in their efforts to acquire innovative skills and establish solid track records in molecular biotechnology, and offers a contemporary reference for scholars, educators, and policymakers wishing to keep in touch with recent developments in molecular biotechnology.

This is the first book to systemize all levels of communicative behavior of phages. Phages represent the most diverse inhabitants on this planet. Until today they are completely underestimated in their number, skills and competences and still remain the dark matter of biology. Phages have serious effects on global energy and nutrient cycles. Phages actively compete for host. They can distinguish between ‘self’ and ‘non-self’ (complement same, preclude others). They process and evaluate available information and then modify their behaviour accordingly. These diverse competences show us that this capacity to evaluate information is possible owing to communication processes within phages (intra-organismic), between the same, related and different phage species (interorganismic), and between phages and non-phage organisms (transorganismic). This is crucial in coordinating infection strategies (lytic vs. lysogenic) and recombination in phage genomes. In 22 chapters, expert contributors review current research into the varying forms of phage biocommunication and Phagetherapy. Biocommunication of Phages aims to assess the current state of research, to orient further investigations on how phages communicate with each other to coordinate their behavioral patterns, and to inspire further investigation of the role of non-phage viruses (non-lytic, non-prokaryotic) in these highly dynamic interactional networks.

This monograph emphasizes the many facets of bacterial evolution as impacted by bacterial interactions with phages, as well as, to a lesser degree, the evolutionary impact of phages on other organisms, including other phages. The book starts with a general overview of bacteriophages. Topics discussed in detail include but are not limited to mutagenesis, migration, natural selection and genetic drift as the drivers of evolution as well as an extensive discussion from the author’s unique perspective on phage ecology.