The new age of the phage

Abstract

The discovery of viruses that can devour bacteria, bacteriophages (phages), was in 1915. Phages are ubiquitous, outnumbering the organisms they devour, and genomically, morphologically, and ecologically diverse. They were critical in our development of molecular biology and biotechnology tools and have been used as therapeutics for over 100 years, primarily in Eastern Europe with thousands of patients from all over the world treated in Georgia. The rise of antimicrobial resistance and the lack of new antimicrobials, has brought them back into the spotlight dawning the New Age of the Phage. This special issue will provide further insight to phage diversity across ecosystems, including humans, animals, and plants, i.e. the basis of a One Health approach, and the requirements for turning phages into viable medicines for the many and not just for the few.