PHAGEBio: Phage Biology and Antimicrobial Innovations

“We study how bacteriophages recognize and eliminate bacteria and translate this knowledge into next-generation antimicrobial strategies.”

Our mission

PHAGEBio advances phage biology and develops innovative antimicrobial solutions to combat harmful bacteria across food systems, animal health, and human medicine.

We combine scientific excellence with a culture of kindness, empowering researchers to thrive through integrity, collaboration, and respect.

Scientific focus

At PHAGEBio, we investigate the biology of bacteriophages (phages), a highly diverse class of bacterial viruses that specifically infect and kill bacteria while remaining harmless to humans and animals. Our research is driven by the fundamental question of how phages recognize, interact with, and ultimately eliminate their specific bacterial hosts.

We identify genetic factors that determine phage host specificity, particularly the receptor-binding proteins that facilitate the initial interaction between phages and bacterial surfaces. By exploring these molecular mechanisms, we aim to understand how phages selectively target bacteria.

We explore the phage dark matter: a vast and largely uncharacterized repertoire of phage-encoded proteins that lack predicted function or homology to known protein families. This unexplored genetic pool offers an exciting opportunity to discover new biological mechanisms and molecules with previously unrecognized antimicrobial activity.

From discovery to innovation

PHAGEBio develops innovative antimicrobial strategies to combat antibiotic-resistant pathogens. We identify phage-derived proteins with antimicrobial activity and engineer them to enhance their potency and target spectrum. By studying their mode of action, we uncover new bacterial susceptibilities and inform the design of next-generation antimicrobials for WHO-priority pathogens.

Phage therapy and applications

We utilize phages as therapeutic agents in phage therapy, providing a promising alternative to conventional antibiotics by selectively targeting pathogenic bacteria while preserving beneficial microbiota. Our research focuses on effective phage deployment in animal production, food systems, and human infections.

By leveraging our understanding of receptor-binding specificity and phage infection processes, we design high-efficiency phage cocktails and engineer phages with broader host ranges and improved antibacterial activity to enhance the effectiveness of phage-based interventions in complex biological environments.

Our approaches

Our research combines experimental and computational methods to explore phage biology. By integrating large collections of bacteriophages with molecular studies, we connect genotype to phenotype across diverse phage systems.

Structural bioinformatics helps us understand protein functions, host recognition, and bacterial killing mechanisms, aiding in the design of novel antimicrobial molecules and engineered phage-derived peptides with improved performance.

We also focus on phage engineering to enhance properties like host range and stability. Our efforts are bolstered by a network of international academic collaborators and industrial partners, facilitating the translation of discoveries into practical antimicrobial applications.

Pathogen focus

PHAGEBio focuses on bacterial species of major global concern, including WHO priority pathogens such as Salmonella, Escherichia coli, and Campylobacter, as well as a broad range of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. By targeting these organisms, our work directly contributes to addressing critical challenges in food safety, animal health, and human medicine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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	Group Leader & Principal Investigator Professor Lone Brøndsted lobr@sund.ku.dk  President of the International Society of Viruses of Microorganisms https://phagesociety.org/
	Principal Investigator Associate Professor Martine C. H. Sørensen mcp@sund.ku.dk  Organizing committee of https://www.phagedenmark.com