Phagemediated

Phagemediated processes refer to biological phenomena driven by bacteriophages, the viruses that infect bacteria. The term encompasses gene transfer, population dynamics, and the use of phages and phagemediated tools in research and medicine. Phagemediated interactions influence microbial ecology, evolution, and clinical interventions.

Mechanisms include transduction, the horizontal transfer of bacterial DNA via phages. Generalized transduction can move any gene; specialized transduction transfers genes near prophage integration sites. Temperate phages can contribute to phagemediated trait exchange through lysogenic conversion. In addition, phage predation shapes bacterial communities through lysis, while engineered phagemediated delivery systems are used in laboratory contexts to introduce DNA into bacteria under controlled conditions.

Applications span basic research, where transduction is used for genetic mapping and strain construction; medicine, where lytic phage therapy exploits phagemediated targeting of pathogens; and biotechnology, including phage display technologies that present peptides or proteins on phage surfaces for screening. Phagemediated approaches also underpin biocontrol strategies in agriculture and studies on microbiomes.

Challenges include narrow host ranges and the emergence of phage resistance, regulatory and biosafety concerns, and the risk of disseminating harmful genes such as antibiotic resistance determinants via transduction. Careful risk assessment, molecular characterization, and containment are required for phagemediated applications beyond the laboratory.