image: PHAGE: Therapy, Applications, and Research is the only peer-reviewed journal dedicated to fundamental bacteriophage research and its applications in medicine, agriculture, aquaculture, veterinary applications, animal production, food safety, and food production. view more
Credit: Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers
New Rochelle, NY, August 5, 2019-Researchers have developed a simple, fast, and standardized method for measuring phage virulence quantitatively, which can expediate phage therapy development by allowing robust individual and combined testing of phage efficacy. The method, which takes into account all factors affecting virulence, is published in a preview issue of PHAGE: Therapy, Applications, and Research, a new peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers launching in early 2020. Click here to read the full-text article free on the PHAGE website.
In the article entitled "The Virulence Index: A Metric for Quantitative Analysis of Phage Virulence," Dominic Sauvageau, PhD and coauthors from University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada demonstrate their standardized quantitative method and discuss its implications. They use the method to evaluate the virulence of phages used in specific combinations. The method can not only be used to facilitate and standardize screening steps in selecting phage for certain applications, but it is also useful for evaluating mutations or changes to virulence. For production quality control purposes it can be used to benchmark different phages or production batches.
"This paper is exciting as it describes a method to allow phage researchers to robustly measure and compare phage and phage combination 'efficacy' - it is less subjective than existing methods and should allow better comparisons between different laboratories," says Martha Clokie, PhD, Editor-in-Chief of PHAGE and Professor of Microbiology, University of Leicester (U.K.).
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About the Journal
PHAGE: Therapy, Applications, and Research is the only peer-reviewed journal dedicated to fundamental bacteriophage research and its applications in medicine, agriculture, aquaculture, veterinary applications, animal production, food safety, and food production. Led by Editor-in-Chief, Martha Clokie, PhD, University of Leicester, United Kingdom, the Journal showcases groundbreaking research, reviews, commentaries, opinion pieces, profiles and perspectives dedicated to defining the roles of phages in all facets of microbiology and microbial ecology and exploring their potential to manipulate bacterial communities and treat infection. More information is available on the PHAGE website.
About the Publisher
Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers is a privately held, fully integrated media company known for establishing authoritative peer-reviewed journals in many promising areas of science and biomedical research, including The CRISPR Journal, Human Gene Therapy, Microbial Drug Resistance, and Viral Immunology. Its biotechnology trade magazine, GEN (Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News), was the first in its field and is today the industry's most widely read publication worldwide. A complete list of the firm's 90 journals, books, and newsmagazines is available on the Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers website.