Could viruses be a cure for bacterial diseases?
Phages are viruses which infect and kill bacteria. Increasingly, as with our Ralstonia Phage project, they are being studied as potential biocontrol agents. Phages have very specific host ranges and could be used to selectively target only pathogenic bacteria, leaving non-pathogenic bacteria unharmed. However, despite some promising results, their use still poses several challenges and limitations.
In this new review article, members of our Pseudomonas-Prunus and Ralstonia Phage teams consider some of the specific hurdles to using phage biocontrol in the management of bacterial diseases in trees.
Click on the citation below to read or download the full article.
This video summarises some of the key issues around using phages to treat cherry canker.