The present invention relates to compositions comprising and methods of producing genetically engineered bacteriophages, bacteriophage-like particles and non-replicating transduction particles (NRTPs) that contain non-native tail fibers that display altered host specificity and/or reactivity. The present invention also relates to methods of using these bacteriophages and NRTPs for the development of novel diagnostics, therapeutics and/or research reagents for bacteria-related diseases.

The present disclosure provides nucleobase editors that include a cytidine deaminase domain, a codon-optimized nuclease-defective Cas9 domain, and at least one nuclear-localization sequence. The nucleobase editors disclosed herein improve the efficiency by which single-nucleotide variants can be created compared to conventional BE3 nucleobase editors.

Disclosed are recombinant phages that infect and kill bacterial hosts in response to user-defined inputs. The components that encode the user-defined inputs can be combined, such that multiple inputs are maintained on a single recombinant phage, enabling precise control over the targeting strategy. The phages can be engineered to kill a specific bacterial species or multiple species simultaneously. Recombinant phages can also be engineered to harbor fluorescent and bioluminescent reporter genes that enable them to be used for tracking, detection, and in biosensing applications. Recombinant phages can also be used to lyse bacterial cells that produce recombinant proteins, as a rapid method to enable extraction and high-level purification of potentially valuable and/or industrially important proteins. Also disclosed is a system that can also be used to control the activity of a protein of interest, by taking advantage of an interaction between Qtip and a phage repressor protein; a phage repressor protein can be fused to a protein-of-interest, and by controlling the expression of qtip, the phage repressor protein fused to a protein-of-interest will be inactivated when Qtip is expressed and interacts with the phage repressor protein.

Bivalent immunogenic compositions against anthrax and plague are disclosed herein. One bivalent immunogenic composition comprises a triple fusion protein containing three antigens, F1 and V from Yersinia pestis and PA antigen from Bacillus anthracis fused in-frame and retaining structural and functional integrity of all three antigens. Another bivalent immunogenic composition comprises bacteriophage nanoparticles arrayed with these three antigens on the capsid surface of the bacteriophage nanoparticles. These bivalent immunogenic compositions are able to elicit robust immune response in a subject administered said the bivalent immunogenic compositions and provide protection to the subject against sequential or simultaneous challenge with both anthrax and plague pathogens.

The present invention relates to the field of antimicrobial agents. In particular, the present invention relates to polypeptides comprising the sequence of a peptidoglycan hydrolase and a peptide sequence heterologous to the peptidoglycan hydrolase wherein said heterologous peptide sequence comprises a specific sequence motif which is 16, 17, 18, 19 or 20 amino acids in length. The present invention relates also to corresponding nucleic acids, vectors, bacteriophages, host cells, compositions and kits. The present inventions also relates to the use of said polypeptides, nucleic acids, vectors, bacteriophages, host cells, compositions and kits in methods for treatment of the human or animal body by surgery or therapy or in diagnostic methods practiced on the human or animal body. The polypeptides, nucleic acids, vectors, bacteriophages, host cells, compositions and kits according to the invention may also be used as an antimicrobial in, e.g., food or feed, in cosmetics, or as disinfecting agent.

A fusion gene, a recombinant novel coronavirus high-efficiency immune DNA vaccine, a construction method and use thereof are provided. The immune DNA vaccine ZD-nCor19 provided herein uses RBD protein, residues 301-538 in the S2 subunit and residues 138-369 in the N protein of the novel coronavirus as target antigens, and has specific immune synergism molecules introduced at suitable positions, and thus can simultaneously efficiently induce humoral immunity and cellular immunity, and can avoid safety problems associated with ADE that may be generated by the full-length S protein and the full-length N protein, thereby achieving dual effects of prevention and treatment. The vaccine can be used as a safe, efficient and stable vaccine variety against novel coronavirus infection.

The present invention relates to a method and a composition to prevent or treat malodour, especially present in human axilla by selective lysis of S. hominis bacteria. The method comprises treating skin with an endolysin derived from a Staphylococcus hominis phage.

Described is an “artificial virus” (AV) programmed with biomolecules that can enter human cells and carry out precise human genome modification. The AVs comprise: at least one viral vector, such as bacteriophage T4; at least one therapeutic molecule, such as DNA, RNA, protein and their complex; and a lipid coating. Also described is a method of human genome modification, using such an AV, and a method of program such an AV.

The present invention relates to the field of antimicrobial agents. In particular, the present invention relates to polypeptides comprising the sequence of a peptidoglycan hydrolase and a peptide sequence heterologous to the peptidoglycan hydrolase wherein said heterologous peptide sequence comprises a specific sequence motif which is 16, 17, 18, 19 or 20 amino acids in length. The present invention relates also to corresponding nucleic acids, vectors, bacteriophages, host cells, compositions and kits. The present inventions also relates to the use of said polypeptides, nucleic acids, vectors, bacteriophages, host cells, compositions and kits in methods for treatment of the human or animal body by surgery or therapy or in diagnostic methods practiced on the human or animal body. The polypeptides, nucleic acids, vectors, bacteriophages, host cells, compositions and kits according to the invention may also be used as an antimicrobial in, e.g., food or feed, in cosmetics, or as disinfecting agent.

A composition for preventing or treating an infection or disease caused by a pathogenic Escherichia coli includes a Myoviridae bacteriophage (Esc-COP-23) having an ability to lyse the pathogenic Escherichia coli and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. A method for preventing or treating an infection or disease caused by a pathogenic Escherichia coli includes administering to a subject a Myoviridae bacteriophage and lysing the pathogenic Escherichia coli by the Myoviridae bacteriophage.