Provided herein are methods and compositions for killing a target bacterium. Also disclosed are engineered bacteriophages.

The invention relates to the field of microbiology, specifically to a bacteriophage or a combination of bacteriophages, to a composition comprising said bacteriophage or comprising said combination of bacteriophages for preventing, treating or controlling contamination with and/or growth of Listeria, including Listeria monocytogenes and Listeria serovar (SV) 1/2 mutants that are resistant to bacteriophage P100 and/or Listeria serovar 3. The invention further relates to the a method for controlling contamination with Listeria, including Listeria monocytogenes and Listeria serovar (SV) 1/2 mutants that are resistant to bacteriophage P100 and/or Listeria serovar 3, in a food product, on food processing equipment, or on food storage containers by applying the bacteriophage or the combination of bacteriophages, to the composition comprising said bacteriophage or said combination of bacteriophages to a food product or food processing equipment to reduce the amount of Listeria.

The present disclosure provides compositions including recombinant K1E bacteriophages, methods for making the same, and uses thereof. The recombinant K1E bacteriophages disclosed herein are useful for the identification and/or antibiotic susceptibility profiling of specific bacterial strains/species present in a sample.

A novel Acinetobacter baumannii bacteriophage and lytic protein derived from the bacteriophage are disclosed. The bacteriophage and lytic protein derived from the bacteriophage both have strong in vitro antibacterial effects on pan-drug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii clinical strains providing experimental basis for developing a preparation for preventing and treating infections caused by Acinetobacter baumannii containing the bacteriophage or lytic protein thereof.

The invention encompasses components from microbial cells which are useful for antibody production, including peptides, polypeptides comprising these peptides, polynucleotides which encode these peptides or polypeptides, and antibodies directed to these peptides, polypeptides, or polynucleotides. The invention also encompasses to expression vectors and host cells for producing these peptides, polypeptides, polynucleotides, and antibodies. The invention further encompasses methods and compositions, especially vaccine compositions, for detecting, targeting, and inhibiting microbial cells, especially methanogen cells, using one or more of the disclosed peptides, polypeptides, polynucleotides, antibodies, expression vectors, and host cells.

Disclosed here are phage compositions for Escherichia comprising CRISPR-Cas systems and methods of use thereof.

The subject invention provides a pharmaceutical composition comprising: (i) at least one bacteriophage strain(s) capable of producing a lytic infection in an adherent-invasive Escherichia coli strain; and (ii) a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier; for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease. The subject invention further provides a method of treating inflammatory bowel disease comprising administering to a subject in need thereof at least one bacteriophage strain capable of producing a lytic infection in an adherent-invasive Escherichia coli strain thereby treating the subject. The subject invention also provides new bacteriophage strains.

The invention encompasses components from microbial cells which are useful for antibody production, including peptides, polypeptides comprising these peptides, polynucleotides which encode these peptides or polypeptides, and antibodies directed to these peptides, polypeptides, or polynucleotides. The invention also encompasses to expression vectors and host cells for producing these peptides, polypeptides, polynucleotides, and antibodies. The invention further encompasses methods and compositions, especially vaccine compositions, for detecting, targeting, and inhibiting microbial cells, especially methanogen cells, using one or more of the disclosed peptides, polypeptides, polynucleotides, antibodies, expression vectors, and host cells.

Disclosed herein are compositions, methods, kits and systems for rapid detection of microorganisms using a reproduction-deficient indicator bacteriophage. The specificity of such reproduction-deficient indicator bacteriophage for binding and infecting particular microorganisms of interest allows targeted and sensitive detection of a microorganism of interest.

Phage 241 specific for Escherichia coli O157:H7 was isolated from an industrial cucumber fermentation where both acidity (pH3.7) and salinity (5% NaCI) were high. A method for preparing a food item at least substantially free of Escherichia coli O157:H7 contamination contacted the food item with a bacteriophage 241 under conditions for the bacteriophage 241 to lyse all or substantially all the Escherichia coli O157:H7 present in the food item, while Escherichia coli strains other than O157:H7 were not affected. A method for detecting the presence of Escherichia coli O157:H7 by contacting a bacteriophage 241 with a food item is also disclosed.