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Tian L, Jackson K, He L, Khan S, Thirugnanasampanthar M, Gomez M, Bayat F, Didar TF, Hosseinidoust Z. High-throughput fabrication of antimicrobial phage microgels and example applications in food decontamination. Nat Protoc 2024; 19:1591-1622. [PMID: 38413781 DOI: 10.1038/s41596-024-00964-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 02/29/2024]
Abstract
Engineered by nature, biological entities are exceptional building blocks for biomaterials. These entities can impart enhanced functionalities on the final material that are otherwise unattainable. However, preserving the bioactive functionalities of these building blocks during the material fabrication process remains a challenge. We describe a high-throughput protocol for the bottom-up self-assembly of highly concentrated phages into microgels while preserving and amplifying their inherent antimicrobial activity and biofunctionality. Each microgel is comprised of half a million cross-linked phages as the sole structural component, self-organized in aligned bundles. We discuss common pitfalls in the preparation procedure and describe optimization processes to ensure the preservation of the biofunctionality of the phage building blocks. This protocol enables the production of an antimicrobial spray containing the manufactured phage microgels, loaded with potent virulent phages that effectively reduced high loads of multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli O157:H7 on red meat and fresh produce. Compared with other microgel preparation methods, our protocol is particularly well suited to biological materials because it is free of organic solvents and heat. Bench-scale preparation of base materials, namely microporous films (the template for casting microgels) and pure concentrated phage suspension, requires 3.5 h and 5 d, respectively. A single production run, that yields over 1,750,000 microgels, ranges from 2 h to 2 d depending on the rate of cross-linking chemistry. We expect that this platform will address bottlenecks associated with shelf-stability, preservation and delivery of phage for antimicrobial applications, expanding the use of phage for prevention and control of bacterial infections and contaminants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Tian
- Department of Chemical Engineering, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Kyle Jackson
- Department of Chemical Engineering, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- Farncombe Family Digestive Health Research Institute, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Leon He
- Department of Chemical Engineering, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Shadman Khan
- School of Biomedical Engineering, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Mellissa Gomez
- Department of Chemical Engineering, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Fereshteh Bayat
- School of Biomedical Engineering, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Tohid F Didar
- School of Biomedical Engineering, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
- Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
- Brockhouse Institute for Materials Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Zeinab Hosseinidoust
- Department of Chemical Engineering, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
- Farncombe Family Digestive Health Research Institute, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
- School of Biomedical Engineering, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
- Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
- Brockhouse Institute for Materials Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
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Burke KA, Urick CD, Mzhavia N, Nikolich MP, Filippov AA. Correlation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Phage Resistance with the Numbers and Types of Antiphage Systems. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:1424. [PMID: 38338703 PMCID: PMC10855318 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25031424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2023] [Revised: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Phage therapeutics offer a potentially powerful approach for combating multidrug-resistant bacterial infections. However, to be effective, phage therapy must overcome existing and developing phage resistance. While phage cocktails can reduce this risk by targeting multiple receptors in a single therapeutic, bacteria have mechanisms of resistance beyond receptor modification. A rapidly growing body of knowledge describes a broad and varied arsenal of antiphage systems encoded by bacteria to counter phage infection. We sought to understand the types and frequencies of antiphage systems present in a highly diverse panel of Pseudomonas aeruginosa clinical isolates utilized to characterize novel antibacterials. Using the web-server tool PADLOC (prokaryotic antiviral defense locator), putative antiphage systems were identified in these P. aeruginosa clinical isolates based on sequence homology to a validated and curated catalog of known defense systems. Coupling this host bacterium sequence analysis with host range data for 70 phages, we observed a correlation between existing phage resistance and the presence of higher numbers of antiphage systems in bacterial genomes. We were also able to identify antiphage systems that were more prevalent in highly phage-resistant P. aeruginosa strains, suggesting their importance in conferring resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Andrey A. Filippov
- Wound Infections Department, Bacterial Diseases Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA; (K.A.B.); (C.D.U.); (N.M.); (M.P.N.)
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