Generally, this disclosure relates to expression constructs that encode a reporter enzyme-affinity binding tag fusion protein that is produced after the construct is inserted into bacteriophage and the bacteriophage infects bacteria. In some embodiments, the fusion protein is captured and produces a detectable signal. Signal intensity may correlate with the number of bacterial cells in a fluid sample. Methods of detecting bacteria using the expression constructs, and microfluidic devices for detecting bacteria using the expression constructs are also disclosed.

Methods and compositions are provided for preventing or reducing symptoms or disease associated with Xylella fastidiosa or Xanthomonas axonopodis in a plant. The invention provides novel bacteriophages virulent to Xylella fastidiosa or Xanthomonas axonopodis, including XfaMija and XfaMijo, and further provides methods for treating or preventing Pierce's Disease or Citrus Canker in plants.

Methods and compositions are provided for preventing or reducing symptoms or disease associated with Xylella fastidiosa or Xanthomonas axonopodis in a plant. The invention provides novel bacteriophages virulent to Xylella fastidiosa or Xanthomonas axonopodis, including XfaMija and XfaMijo, and further provides methods for treating or preventing Pierce's Disease or Citrus Canker in plants.

Disclosed herein are methods and systems for rapid detection of microorganisms in a sample, without culturing for enrichment of the microorganism. A modified bacteriophage is also disclosed which comprises a non-native indicator gene in the late gene region. The indicator product is not a fusion protein. The specificity of infectious agents allows a specific microorganism to be targeted, and an indicator signal may be amplified to optimize assay sensitivity.

A method of recovering viable phage from, for example, a crude phage preparation such as a lysate resulting from amplification of phage in bacterial cell culture is disclosed. The method may be universal; that is, applicable to the purification of a broad range of phage species and strains. The phage product resulting from the method may have an acceptably low endotoxin titer (e.g. less than 500 EU/ml) and sufficiently high phage titer (e.g. >1?10.sup.9 PFU/ml) for use in therapeutic applications.

The present disclosure provides compositions and methods for identifying bacteria and profiling their antibiotic susceptibility. In particular, the methods and compositions of the present technology permit the detection of low concentrations of bacterial cells (e.g., <10 cells/ml) that are present within a complex biological sample.

The present invention provides methods for development of a virulent bacteriophage-based treatment for the control of plant diseases caused by Xylella fastidiosa. The invention further provides methods of isolating and propagating bacteriophage virulent to X. fastidiosa in a Xanthomonas bacterial host and for treating or reducing symptoms of X. fastidiosa infection in a plant. The invention further provides methods of isolating and propagating bacteriophage virulent to Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. citri and for treating or reducing symptoms of Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. citri infection in a plant.

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 method of recovering viable phage from, for example, a crude phage preparation such as a lysate resulting from amplification of phage in bacterial cell culture is disclosed. The method may be universal; that is, applicable to the purification of a broad range of phage species and strains. The phage product resulting from the method may have an acceptably low endotoxin titer (e.g. less than 500 EU/ml) and sufficiently high phage titer (e.g. >1?10.sup.9 PFU/ml) for use in therapeutic applications.

A method is for prevention and/or biological control of wilt caused by Ralstonia solanacearum, by use of suitable bacteriophages. In addition a method uses the structural characterisation, genome sequence and activity of three specific lytic bacteriophages of R. solanacearum. Podovirus presents an elevated stability between 4 C. and 30 C. in an aqueous medium in the absence of a host. As a result of the high level of stability, lytic activity, elevated specificity towards R. solanacearum and the absence of activity against the microbiota associated with the plants to be protected, bacteriophages are used for the biological control of R. solanacearum in river courses and irrigation water, as well as in a method for preventing and/or controlling the wilt produced by the bacteria, in which at least one of the bacteriophages, or combinations thereof, are delivered to the plants and/or the soil in the irrigation water.