The development of targeted phage metagenomic

Bacteriophages are the most abundant biological entities on the planet, with 1031 in the biosphere. They drive the evolution of their bacterial hosts by mediating horizontal gene transfer, facilitating the spread of antimicrobial resistance and virulence genes. Despite being abundant, we have only begun to understand their diversity through culture-independent methods (e.g. viral metagenomics). Although viral metagenomics has expanded our understanding of phage diversity, it does not link the phage with a host that it can infect. Research into the range of hosts a phage can infect is traditionally based on the use of plaque assays that allows the visualisation of plaques, should the infection results in a productive infection. However, there are many issues with this method. First, if the phage is temperate in nature, it will not produce plaques.
Additionally, the phage may be able to attach and inject its DNA (also transferred genes) but not be able to replicate due to host anti-phage systems actively. Linking phage diversity to hosts and identifying the range of host phages that can transfer genetic material is essential to understanding the role of phages in host evolution. Furthermore, with the growing use of phage therapy and the use of phages as delivery vectors identifying the full range of hosts will be essential for the success of such approaches. This work will build on the preliminary data we have for producing mini-cells of E. coli and their subsequent infection with phages. Mini-cells are "mini" bacterial cells which are formed as a result of asymmetric bacterial division. They contain no chromosomal DNA but crucially contain membrane receptors for phage attachment