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.

A composition comprising at least two different strains of isolated bacteriophages, each capable of infecting a bacteria of the species Staphylococcus aureus, wherein at least one of said at least two different strains of isolated bacteriophages has a genomic nucleic acid sequence at least 90% identical to one of the nucleic acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NOs: 1-7. Uses thereof are also disclosed.

The present invention is directed to the field of phage therapy for the treatment and control of bacterial infections. In particular, the present invention is directed to the novel bacteriophages F1245/05, F168/08, F170/08, F770/05, F197/08, F86/06, F87s/06 and F91a/06, isolated polypeptides thereof, compositions comprising one or more of the novel bacteriophages and/or isolated polypeptides and methods for the treatment and prevention of bacterial infection, either alone or in combination with other antibacterial therapies, e.g., antibiotics or other phage therapies.

The utility of directed-in vitro evolution of phages in a phage cocktail, i.e., phage training, using panels of multidrug resistant strains of P. aeruginosa or K. pneumoniae was demonstrated effective for the development of phages having broader host ranges of MDR P. aeruginosa or K. pneumoniae. The phage clones obtained by this method have lytic activity against more host strains than their parental phages. Sequencing results of the trained phages showed significant genetic changes from the parental phages. Some trained phages having lytic activity in an expanded range of MDR bacterial strains was proved to be stable, indicating the genetic changes that accumulated were not readily reversible. One of the phage clones showing host range stability was selected and incorporated into a previously used phage cocktail. The new phage cocktail provided improved therapeutic efficacy in a mouse model of wound infection. Taken together, these results show the utility of in vitro phage training in the development of more efficacious phage therapeutics to target the critical drug-resistant pathogens P. aeruginosa as well as K. pneumoniae. Based on these results, a new method for phage training and pharmaceutical composition comprising one of the trained phages is suggested.

To control plant diseases caused by Xanthomonas spp., a novel bacteriophage exhibiting bacteriolysis activity specifically on Xanthomonas spp. was isolated. Thus, developed and provided is a plant disease control composition containing the bacteriophage as an active ingredient. Provided are a bacteriolytic agent containing a bacteriophage that has a novel genomic DNA sequence and exhibits bacteriolysis activity specifically on Xanthomonas spp., and a plant disease control composition containing the same as an active ingredient.

To control plant diseases caused by Xanthomonas spp., a novel bacteriophage exhibiting bacteriolysis activity specifically on Xanthomonas spp. was isolated. Thus, developed and provided is a plant disease control composition containing the bacteriophage as an active ingredient. Provided are a bacteriolytic agent containing a bacteriophage that has a novel genomic DNA sequence and exhibits bacteriolysis activity specifically on Xanthomonas spp., and a plant disease control composition containing the same as an active ingredient.

To control plant diseases caused by Xanthomonas spp., a novel bacteriophage exhibiting bacteriolysis activity specifically on Xanthomonas spp. was isolated. Thus, developed and provided is a plant disease control composition containing the bacteriophage as an active ingredient. Provided are a bacteriolytic agent containing a bacteriophage that has a novel genomic DNA sequence and exhibits bacteriolysis activity specifically on Xanthomonas spp., and a plant disease control composition containing the same as an active ingredient.

The technology described herein relates to methods and compositions for targeting E coli cells, such as for treating or preventing an infection by E coli cells in human or animal subjects. The method, in an embodiment, comprises administering to the subject a particle cocktail comprising a plurality of different transduction particles to E coli cells. The method, in an embodiment, comprises administering to the subject a plurality of transduction particles that encode a nuclease for targeting the genomes of B2 phylogroup E coli cells.

Disclosed are compositions, devices, kits, and methods for prevention and/or treatment of Staphylococcus infection. In specific embodiments, Staphylococcus are S. pseudintermedius and/or S. aureus. Aspects of the present disclosure can be directed to bacteriophage compositions comprising one or more of vB_SpsM-DH2, vB_SpsS-DH5, and/or vB_SpsM-DS10. Further disclosed are devices and kits comprising such compositions, and methods for use of such compositions in treatment and prevention of pathogenic Staphylococcus infection.

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