Background

Bacteriophages, or phages, are viruses that specifically target and infect bacteria. First discovered in the early 20th century, phages were quickly recognized for their therapeutic potential, and their successful clinical use was documented as early as 1921. While interest in the West declined after the advent of antibiotics, countries like Georgia and Russia continued to advance phage research and application.

Amid the growing antibiotic resistance crisis, phages have re-emerged as powerful tools for precision antimicrobial therapy. Their ability to target specific bacterial strains with minimal impact on the host microbiome, as well as their capacity to adapt alongside bacterial evolution, makes them attractive in clinical, agricultural, and industrial applications.

Effective phage-based solutions begin with the precise isolation and identification of phages that exhibit strong activity against specific bacterial targets. This process involves screening environmental or clinical samples, characterizing the host range, and assessing genetic safety to ensure therapeutic suitability. Once suitable candidates are identified, scalable, standardized production methods are implemented to generate high-titer phage preparations.

Next, purification steps are employed using techniques such as filtration and chromatography to eliminate contaminants like endotoxins and host cell debris, which is crucial for safety and regulatory compliance. Finally, robust quality control protocols verify phage potency, sterility, genomic stability, and batch consistency.

Figure 1. Process of bacteriophage isolation for therapeutic use. (Hitchcock et al., 2023)

To ensure long-term usability and effective delivery, phages are formulated into stable products tailored to their intended use. These formulations, whether in liquid, lyophilized powder, gel, or encapsulated formats, are optimized to protect phage integrity under varying environmental and storage conditions. This ensures reliable performance in clinical, industrial, or agricultural applications.

In addition to their therapeutic potential, phages have transformed molecular biology through phage display technology. By engineering phages to present peptides, proteins, or antibody fragments on their surface, researchers can rapidly screen vast molecular libraries to identify high-affinity binders. This has become a cornerstone technique in drug discovery, diagnostic development, and vaccine design—enabling breakthroughs in targeting disease-specific biomarkers and developing next-generation biologics.

Figure 2. Illustrates the fundamental steps of phage display technology. (Sadraeian et al., 2024)

At Creative BioMart Microbe, we offer a comprehensive suite of phage services to support your research, development, and manufacturing goals—from phage isolation to GMP-grade production and beyond. Whether you're exploring novel therapeutics, engineering host strains, or designing phage-based biocontrols, we've got the science, scale, and savvy to back you up. Please feel free to contact us for more information.

Service Procedure

Platforms and Instruments

We operate cutting-edge labs equipped with:

Service Details

Phage Isolation and Identification Services

The foundation of any successful phage application lies in the careful selection of effective, host-specific bacteriophages. Our phage isolation and identification services leverage advanced methodologies to discover, isolate, and characterize naturally occurring or engineered phages with precision. By combining high-throughput screening, host range profiling, and genomic analysis, we deliver robust phage candidates optimized for research, agricultural, or industrial use.

Phage Production Services

Reliable and scalable phage manufacturing is critical to support downstream applications. Our phage production services offer both research-grade and GMP-grade production solutions tailored to your project's needs. With optimized fermentation protocols, strict quality assurance, and customizable scale options, we ensure consistent high-titer yields and batch-to-batch reproducibility across all stages of development.

Phage Purification and Quality Control Services

Ensuring purity, safety, and stability is paramount in any phage-based product. Our phage purification and quality control services utilize state-of-the-art purification techniques—including ultrafiltration and chromatography—alongside comprehensive quality assessments to meet both research and regulatory expectations.

Phage Formulation Development Services

Phage viability and performance are highly dependent on formulation strategy. Our phage formulation development services are designed to create stable, application-specific dosage forms that protect phage integrity under varied environmental and storage conditions. Whether for agricultural or industrial deployment, we provide tailored solutions such as liquid, lyophilized, encapsulated, or gel-based formulations to ensure optimal delivery and efficacy.

Phage Display Services

Phage display technology unlocks powerful capabilities in molecular discovery and target screening. Our phage display services support the construction, screening, and customization of diverse phage libraries for the identification of high-affinity binders, peptides, antibodies, or biomolecules. Ideal for drug development, diagnostics, and vaccine research, our services combine precision engineering with deep technical expertise to accelerate innovation in biomedical science.

Our Advantages

• Full-Service Pipeline: We offer a fully integrated phage services pipeline—from isolation and identification to production, purification, formulation, and advanced applications like phage display—providing a one-stop solution tailored to diverse project needs.
• Customization First: We recognize that phage applications are highly specific. Whether you require unique host targeting, novel formulation strategies, or customized display libraries, we tailor our services to meet your exact specifications.
• Expert Scientific Team: With a multidisciplinary team of experts in microbiology, molecular biology, bioprocessing, and regulatory science, we provide scientifically rigorous support and customized technical guidance throughout each project phase.
• Rigorous Quality Control Standards: Our commitment to quality is reflected in our robust QC processes, which include endotoxin testing, sterility assays, potency evaluation, and genomic stability checks to ensure safe and effective phage products.
• Rapid Turnaround and Scalable Capacity: We combine efficient project workflows with flexible production scales—ranging from bench-scale to industrial batch—allowing for rapid delivery and seamless scale-up to meet commercial or clinical demands.
• Proven Track Record Across Industries: Our services support a wide range of sectors, including human and veterinary medicine, agriculture, food safety, and industrial biotechnology, demonstrating our versatility and cross-sector experience.

Case Study

Case Study 1: Isolation and characterization of a novel Salmonella phage vB_SalP_TR2.

Salmonella is a common foodborne pathogen, and phage-based biocontrol strategies are gaining traction due to the pathogen's genetic diversity. In a recent study, five phages were isolated from soil, and phage vB_SalP_TR2 was identified as a promising lytic candidate effective against Salmonella serovar Albany and several other serovars (Corvallis, Newport, Kottbus, and Istanbul). Morphologically, vB_SalP_TR2 belongs to the Podoviridae family, with a short tail and an icosahedral head. It demonstrated a 15-minute latent period, a burst size of 211 PFU/cell, and a 71,453 bp linear dsDNA genome lacking virulence or antibiotic resistance genes. The phage exhibited broad pH and temperature stability, effectively lysed S. Albany in vitro, and significantly reduced bacterial counts in milk and chicken meat. These results support the potential of vB_SalP_TR2 as a safe and effective biocontrol agent for Salmonella in food products.

Figure 3. Morphology of Salmonella phage vB_SalP_TR2. (A) Phage plaques formed on double-layer agar plates. (B) Transmission electron microscopy image of vB_SalP_TR2. Phage vB_SalP_TR2 produced clear plaques and belongs to the Podoviridae family. (Shang et al., 2021)

Case Study 2: Pf-10—A biopesticide phage targeting Pseudomonas syringae.

Phytopathogenic pseudomonads, particularly Pseudomonas syringae, are major plant pathogens worldwide. This study characterizes Pseudomonas phage Pf-10, a component of the biopesticide "Multiphage", which targets P. syringae-induced crop diseases. Pf-10 possesses a 39,424 bp dsDNA genome with two 257 bp direct terminal repeats (DTRs) and a GC content of 56.5%. It employs a T7-like DNA packaging mechanism and exhibits a podovirus morphology. Pf-10 demonstrates strong environmental stability (pH 5–10; temperatures 4–60 °C), rapid adsorption (80% within 10 minutes), and effective lytic activity against Pseudomonas strains, though with a modest burst size of 37 ± 8.5 PFU/cell. Phylogenetic analysis classifies Pf-10 as a novel species in the family Autographiviridae, within the order Caudovirales. These findings support its application as a targeted, stable biocontrol agent in agriculture.

Figure 4. P. syringae BIM B-268 growth kinetics upon the infection with Pseudomonas phage Pf-10 at different MOI values. Killing activity of phage Pf-10 in: (a) the absence of Mg²⁺ and Ca²⁺ ions; (b) the presence of Mg²⁺ and Ca²⁺ ions; (c) the presence of only Mg²⁺ ions; (d) the presence of only Ca²⁺ ions. (Kazantseva et al., 2021)

FAQs

References:

1. Hitchcock NM, Devequi Gomes Nunes D, Shiach J, et al. Current clinical landscape and global potential of bacteriophage therapy. Viruses. 2023;15(4):1020. doi:10.3390/v15041020
2. Kazantseva OA, Buzikov RM, Pilipchuk TA, et al. The bacteriophage pf-10—a component of the biopesticide "multiphage" used to control agricultural crop diseases caused by Pseudomonas syringae. Viruses. 2021;14(1):42. doi:10.3390/v14010042
3. Sadraeian M, Maleki R, Moraghebi M, Bahrami A. Phage display technology in biomarker identification with emphasis on non-cancerous diseases. Molecules. 2024;29(13):3002. doi:10.3390/molecules29133002
4. Shang Y, Sun Q, Chen H, et al. Isolation and characterization of a novel Salmonella phage vB_SalP_TR2. Front Microbiol. 2021;12:664810. doi:10.3389/fmicb.2021.664810

• Phage Isolation and Identification Services
• Phage Production Services
• Phage Purification and Quality Control Services
• Phage Formulation Development Services
• Phage Display Services