Concerns related to drug-resistant bacteria have stimulated interest in alternative treatments of bacterial infections. Among these therapies, a special interest has been given to phage therapy, the use of bacteriophages to kill or otherwise control the bacterial population in infected hosts. Bacteriophages (phages) are viruses that specifically infect and lyse bacteria. Virulent phages cause bacterial host cell lysis. They not only function to control bacterial population, but can also act as an indicator for bacterial contamination and a tool for identifying specific bacterial strains. Recent reviews testify to a renaissance in the study of the potential beneficial uses of bacteriophages as biocontrol agents in food and for phage therapy.
We have isolated novel bacteriophages capable of lysing Salmonella, E. coli, Bacillus from various environmental sources. With microbiological tools, we study control mechanisms of bacteria. We have also developed a rapid and simple method that detects foodborne pathogens using bacteriophages and quantum dot technology.