Phage Consultants helps apply bacteriophages to aquaculture pathogen control

Gdansk, Poland: – Specialist Polish-based CRO Phage Consultants (PC) is applying its leading-edge knowledge of bacteriophage technology to the development of more advanced aquaculture and fisheries in the Baltic Sea. PC will contribute with its unique skills in production and purification of bacteriophages in this project as well as in formulation of the phage-containing products and mixtures.

PC has been invited to participate in the three-year FlavoPhage study of pathogen control in aquaculture, launched at the beginning of April 2017.

BONUS FlavoPhage study

The study, which has a budget of €2.2m, is funded as part of the Blue Baltic series of studies within BONUS, the joint Baltic Sea research and development program launched in September 2010 as a joint endeavor by Baltic countries together with the EU.

BONUS FlavoPhage will examine the deployment of environmentally sustainable technologies to benefit the various stages of the aquaculture rearing cycle. In particular, it will look at ways of combating the pathogens that lead to disease outbreaks in high-density fish populations, causing substantial economic losses to the industry.

The objective of the study, coordinated from University of Copenhagen’s Department of Biology, and involving research partners in Denmark, Finland and Poland, is to improve the sustainability, food safety, and productivity of Baltic aquaculture by developing environmentally balanced bacteriophage-based strategies to control the important Flavobacterium pathogens.

Antibiotic resistance

While vaccines are quite effective against pathogens encountered in brackish in and salt water, their use is problematic in freshwater aquaculture. Issues include bacterial antibiotic resistance and potential transfer to human pathogenic bacteria.

“This important program is examining use of sustainable and environment-friendly: bacteriophages to control infections in a more natural way,” explained Phage Consultants CEO and founder, Dr. Marcin Los.

“Our role will be to optimize, produce and purify bacteriophages phages for this project as well as to take part in the formulation of research,” said Dr. Los.

About Phage Consultants

Phage Consultants is a contract research and manufacturing organization that specializes in bacteriophage detection and characterization and production.

Bacteriophages (phages) are viruses that infect bacteria. First discovered around 1915, phages play an important role in viral biology, used to elucidate DNA viral reproduction through lytic and lysogenic cycles. They have been used for almost a century as alternatives to antibiotics and can have therapeutic effect against multi-drug-resistant strains of many bacteria.

Founded in Gdansk, Poland, in 2007, PC have become world leaders in using the power of bacteriophage technology in bioprocess infection and contamination control and assisting companies whose production is based on microbial activities in preventing bacteriophage contamination, along with bacterial, fungal and viral contaminations.

Phage Consultants are also specialists in the field of bacteriophage biology with specific expertise on phage activity in bioprocessing. Its team provides unique assistance to pharmaceutical and biotech companies, offering a range of services from personal training to consulting and process optimization in phage growth limitation. The company also advises and assists clients in the development of new production facilities.