Roadmap for Phage technologies

What are we trying to achieve and why? What is the problem we are trying to solve?

To understand if phage and antibiotics can be used together to generate synergistic effect and reduce/counteract resistance.

What are the scientific and technological challenges (knowledge gaps needing to be addressed)?

Identify receptors sites (e.g. binding efflux pumps).
Investigate interaction among phages and antibiotics.
Understanding the adaptation of phages to immune systems.
Characterization of phage resistance in bacteria and fitness costs of bacteria (resistant bacteria may be more susceptible to AB and the immune response).
Use of phages to block transmission of AMR plasmids (phages could be used to cut antibiotic resistant genes and plasmids).

What approaches could/should be taken to address the research question?

In vitro and in vivo evaluation.
Crisp-Cas system in the bacteria – can they show immunity to the phages.

What else needs to be done before we can solve this need?

Existing knowledge including successes and failures