Fast and reliable bacterial testing is essential to reduce the socio-economic burden associated with bacterial infections (e.g., in healthcare, industry, or security). Conventional detection methods rely on the cultivation and isolation of target bacteria and are followed by biochemical confirmation. Although the classic method is cheap and simple, it takes up to 72 hours to obtain a reliable output. In many cases, this is too long, not only in the case of health care but also in the case of industry (e.g., the food industry, especially for short-term shelf life) or safety (e.g., anthrax testing). In the field of rapid bacterial detection, phages have become an interesting alternative to antibodies. Phages are viruses that only infect bacterial cells. Their natural affinity for host cells can be used to design highly specific tools. Since there are a large number of different phage types with various shapes and characteristics, it is possible to design biosensors that detect almost all bacterial strains. Phages have the advantages of specificity, robustness, toughness, and low preparation cost, making them a popular biological recognition element in biosensors and other bacterial detection and analysis.
Fig 1. Overview of phage-based pathogen detection. (Meile S, et al. 2020)
Although molecular methods provide a rapid alternative to cultivation, their widespread use is limited by cost, infrastructure requirements, and the need for skilled operators. At Creative Biolabs, our scientists have studied various phage-based assays for specific host detection.
Phage typing uses the different sensitivity of bacteria to various phages to determine the genus and species of bacteria.
Mycobacterial phages have been shown to be able to distinguish drug-resistant and drug-sensitive isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in order to select anti-mycobacterial drugs. The phage replication assay we provide to detect bacterial resistance is a fast and sensitive alternative to microscopy.
The phage strain specificity allows the specific detection of host lysis in a mixed bacterial population. We use phage combined with bioluminescence and electrochemical detection to detect host lysis.
We provide detection analysis that combines immunomagnetic separation (IMS) and phage-dependent methods to detect E. coli.
Creative Biolabs can meet the needs of customers by providing bacteria detection solutions on time and on budget. We have in-depth knowledge and experience of the tools and processes involved in the phage projects. Our skilled and dedicated scientific researchers ensure that the most suitable methods and techniques are selected for your project. If necessary, please feel free to contact us.
Please kindly note that our services can only be used to support research purposes (Not for clinical use).
Creative Biolabs is a globally recognized phage company. Creative Biolabs is committed to providing researchers with the most reliable service and the most competitive price.
