Phage Synthetic Biology: Designing With Viruses That Target Bacteria

Mon, 18 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Bacteriophages, usually shortened to phages, are viruses that infect bacteria. They are abundant in nature, highly specific in many of their interactions, and deeply tied to microbial ecology. To synthetic biology, they are interesting for a simple reason: they already know how to recognize bacterial cells, deliver genetic material, and shape bacterial populations.

That does not make them simple tools. Phages are biological agents with host range, evolution, resistance, manufacturing challenges, regulatory questions, and safety responsibilities. A phage platform is not a programmable courier that obeys a diagram. It is a system built from virus-bacterium interactions, and those interactions can change.

Phage Engineering on Fondsites

Phage Synthetic Biology: Designing With Viruses That Target Bacteria