What

My project aims to develop safe and effective treatments against multidrug-resistant

bacteria using bacteriophages (phages), viruses that selectively kill bacteria, as an alternative

to antibiotics. It focuses on the opportunistic bacterium, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and aims

to design “stealth” phages that kill bacteria without activating bacterial virulence and antiphage defenses systems.

Why

Antibiotic resistance is an urgent global health threat, and phage therapy offers a promising

alternative. However, in P. aeruginosa phages can trigger undesired side effects through

activation of a bacterial signaling system known as quorum sensing. Preventing these side

effects is essential to develop safer, more effective therapies against antibiotic resistant

infections.

How

This project will identify which bacterial genes are activated during phage infection and use

this knowledge to create genetically engineered “stealth” phages that can block this

response. The safety and effectiveness of these new phages will be evaluated using biofilmand infection models that mimic clinical conditions

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