Long-term efficacy of glyphosate for smooth brome control in native prairie

Non-Peer Reviewe

Phage engineering: how advances in molecular biology and synthetic biology are being utilized to enhance the therapeutic potential of bacteriophages

Background The therapeutic potential of bacteriophages has been debated since their first isolation and characterisation in the early 20th century. However, a lack of consistency in application and observed efficacy during their early use meant that upon the discovery of antibiotic compounds research in the field of phage therapy quickly slowed. The rise of antibiotic resistance in bacteria and improvements in our abilities to modify and manipulate DNA, especially in the context of small viral genomes, has led to a recent resurgence of interest in utilising phage as antimicrobial therapeutics. Results In this article a number of results from the literature that have aimed to address key issues regarding the utility and efficacy of phage as antimicrobial therapeutics utilising molecular biology and synthetic biology approaches will be introduced and discussed, giving a general view of the recent progress in the field. Conclusions Advances in molecular biology and synthetic biology have enabled rapid progress in the field of phage engineering, with this article highlighting a number of promising strategies developed to optimise phages for the treatment of bacterial disease. Whilst many of the same issues that have historically limited the use of phages as therapeutics still exist, these modifications, or combinations thereof, may form a basis upon which future advances can be built. A focus on rigorous in vivo testing and investment in clinical trials for promising candidate phages may be required for the field to truly mature, but there is renewed hope that the potential benefits of phage therapy may finally be realised

Use of a phage display library to identify oligopeptides binding to the lumenal surface of polarized endothelium by ex vivo perfusion of human umbilical veins.

Human endothelial-specific targeting peptides were identified by biopanning within freshly-obtained human umbilical cords. Umbilical veins were cleaned in situ and M13 phage display libraries were passed through the cords. Tightly bound phage were recovered following isolation of endothelial cells by collagenase digestion and homogenisation, allowing production of enriched phage libraries for subsequent rounds of panning. After five rounds of biopanning, five promising sequences were selected and the binding of the corresponding phage clones was compared in perfused umbilical veins. Each of these peptides showed substantial binding, although the clone encoding the heptapeptide KPSGLTY showed the greatest, some 89-times greater than insertless phage. Binding of this phage clone was examined to cells in vitro, where it demonstrated at least five-times greater binding to isolated human umbilical vein endothelial cells than to 911, SKOV3, B16F10 and Cos7 cells. These initial peptides may prove useful targeting agents for endothelial-selective delivery, and this powerful approach should be readily applicable to biopanning in a broad range of human vessels ex vivo