Main description:

The intention is to provide a defininitive reference work on the technological and therapeutic applications of bacteriophages. The main areas to be covered are indicated in the subtitles. It is intended to avoid an overdependence on reciting the history of the approach and rather to concentrate on its practical utility, albeit placing that in its appropriate context.

Contents:

1 Bacteriophage Biology

1. Structure and function of bacteriophages

2. Bacteriophage infection and lysis

3. Lysogeny

4. Transduction

5. Genetics and genomics of bacteriophages6. Bacteriophage discovery and genomics7. Host resistance and bacteriophage counter-resistance8. Bacteriophage ecology, population biology and biotechnology9. Bacteriophage pharmacology and immunology10. Bacteriophage as biocontrol agents2 History of Bacteriophages

1. The discovery of bacteriophages and the historical context

2. Early therapeutic and other uses of bacteriophages 3. Interregnum and renaissance of bacteriophages

3 Bacteriophage Technology

1. Isolation of bacteriophages

2. Bacteriophage use in molecular biology and biotechnology

3. Detection of bacteriophage: Plaques and plaque assay

4. Detection of bacteriophage: Statistical asoects of plaque assay

5. Detection of bacteriophage: Electron microscopy and visualisation

6. Detection of bacteriophage: Sequence-based systems7. Detection of bacteriophages: Mass spectroscopy and novel approaches8. Use of bacteriophages as detection agents9. Phages in nanotechnology: History and future10. Intellectual property issues for bacteriophages11. Optimisation of host strains in bacteriophage production12. Manufacture of bacteriophages

4 Agriculture, Food and Environmental Use of Bacteriophages

1. Environmental hygiene and bacteriophages

2. Industrial processes and biofilm applications of bacteriophages

3. Crop use of bacteriophages

4. Food safety and bacteriophages

5. Bacteriophage utilization in animal hygiene

5 Therapeutic use of Bacteriophages

1. Summary of current Eastern Europe phage use

2. The use of bacteriophages in veterinary therapy3. GM and non-replicating bacteriophage

4. Enzybiotics: lysins and bacteriocins

5. Phage display

6. Phages as carriers

7. Regulatory aspects of bacteriophage therapy

8. Clinical trials of bacteriophage therapeutics