#5: Agro-food, veterinary and environmental biotechnology applications
Thursday, January 21, 4pm GMT
Engineered phages for environmental monitoring
Phages were genetically engineered to contain reporter enzymes and allow for covalent and oriented conjugation on magnetic nanoparticles. The phages were used to detect E. coli in drinking water and provided and compared favourably to current testing methods.
Encapsulation of bacteriophages for targeted delivery and controlled release
The talk will cover encapsulation approaches that can be used for bacteriophages including spray drying, microfluidic and membrane emulsification methods. Encapsulation affords phages protection from environmental and processing stresses. Phages administered via the oral route may lose activity upon exposure to gastric acidity and enzymatic activity. Targeted delivery and controlled release of high tires of phages may significantly improve phage treatment outcomes. Experimental results using pH triggered responsive formulations will be presented.
Phage therapy in Apiculture - prospects
American Foulbrood (AFB) is a bacterial disease affecting honeybees, with no currently available treatment. The infectious process begins when adult bees provide spore-contaminated food to their larvae. We investigated the possibility of using phages to control AFB, orally administered to adult bees, by characterizing phage safety, biodistribution and activity in hive conditions.
Department of Food Science and Technology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
Chemical Engineering Department, Loughborough University, UK
Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
Chairs
Department of Biology, Marine Biological Section, University of Copenhagen, Helsingør, Denmark
Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg C, Denmark
