Bacteriophages

Dr. David R. Harper has a scientific background in virology and microbiology and is the CEO of Evolution Biotechnologies. He was the founder, CEO, and CSO of Biocontrol Limited and CSO of AmpliPhi Biosciences and managed the first modern regulated clinical trial to demonstrate the efficacy of bacteriophages. He is a member of the Alternatives to Antibiotics panel, a collaboration between the Wellcome Trust and the UK Department of Health. Dr. Stephen T. Abedon has been a member of the faculty of the Ohio State University, Department of Microbiology, for over 25 years. He has been studying bacteriophages for 35-plus years and has over 100 phage-based publications including 9 monographs or equivalents on phages which he has edited (1), co-edited (7), or single authored (1), along with 3 more edited volumes currently in progress. Additional information and resources can be found at abedon.phage.org. Dr. Benjamin H. Burrowes received his Ph.D. in medical microbiology from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in 2010, where his research focus was the development of therapeutic bacteriophages with extended host range using in vitro evolution. Upon leaving Texas, Dr. Burrowes worked at Biocontrol Inc. (now AmpliPhi Biosciences Corporation) developing multiple human phage therapy preparations targeting several major bacterial pathogens. Ben left GeneWEAVE some time ago and now works as Senior Consultant at Evolution Biotechnologies, Georgetown, TX, USA, working on novel phage therapeutics, and as a Senior Scientist at the Center for Phage Technology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA. Dr. Malcolm L. McConville is a microbiologist with over 30 years industrial experience. Having gained a B.Sc. (Cardiff University, UK) and Ph.D. (University of Reading, UK), he has worked in the contract biomedical research industry and for AmpliPhi Biosciences Corporation (formerly Biocontrol Ltd) on the commercial development of bacteriophage therapy products. He is currently Trials Director at Evolution Biotechnologies.

1 Bacteriophage Biology 1. Structure and function of bacteriophages 2. Bacteriophage infection and lysis 3. Lysogeny 4. Transduction 5. Genetics and genomics of bacteriophages 6. Bacteriophage discovery and genomics 7. Host resistance and bacteriophage counter-resistance 8. Bacteriophage ecology, population biology and biotechnology 9. Bacteriophage pharmacology and immunology 10. Bacteriophage as biocontrol agents 2 History of Bacteriophages 1. The discovery of bacteriophages and the historical context 2. Early therapeutic and other uses of bacteriophages 3. Interregnum and renaissance of bacteriophages 3 Bacteriophage Technology 1. Isolation of bacteriophages 2. Bacteriophage use in molecular biology and biotechnology 3. Detection of bacteriophage: Plaques and plaque assay 4. Detection of bacteriophage: Statistical asoects of plaque assay 5. Detection of bacteriophage: Electron microscopy and visualisation 6. Detection of bacteriophage: Sequence-based systems 7. Detection of bacteriophages: Mass spectroscopy and novel approaches 8. Use of bacteriophages as detection agents 9. Phages in nanotechnology: History and future 10. Intellectual property issues for bacteriophages 11. Optimisation of host strains in bacteriophage production 12. Manufacture of bacteriophages 4 Agriculture, Food and Environmental Use of Bacteriophages 1. Environmental hygiene and bacteriophages 2. Industrial processes and biofilm applications of bacteriophages 3. Crop use of bacteriophages 4. Food safety and bacteriophages 5. Bacteriophage utilization in animal hygiene 5 Therapeutic use of Bacteriophages 1. Summary of current Eastern Europe phage use 2. The use of bacteriophages in veterinary therapy 3. GM and non-replicating bacteriophage 4. Enzybiotics: lysins and bacteriocins 5. Phage display 6. Phages as carriers 7. Regulatory aspects of bacteriophage therapy 8. Clinical trials of bacteriophage therapeutics