Phage Isolation

Identifying and characterizing new bacteriophages remains an important and beneficial research approach. Bacteriophages are the most abundant life form on earth, and therefore a rich source of new genetic information. Although thousands of unique bacteriophages have been discovered to infect various bacterial hosts, the constant discovery of new bacteriophages is genetically different from any previously discovered bacteriophages. Sequencing the genomes of these new phages may reveal similarities to previously identified phages, but even minor differences can reveal important insights about virus biology and evolution. The road to the discovery of new phages begins with the collection of environmental samples. All environmental samples, including soil, compost, and water, contain bacteriophages. But not all samples contain phages specific to your bacterial host. A good strategy for finding new phages is to learn about your host and its location in the environment. Wherever the host bacteria are found, phages will be found.

Our Services

At Creative Biolabs, we will extract the phages present in environmental samples and use one of two techniques to test their ability to infect bacterial hosts: direct isolation or enrichment isolation (or both). The steps we use to detect phages in these samples take advantage of the phage infection cycle. Our services are listed as follows, but are not limited to:

Direct isolation service

• The combination of direct isolation and plaque supplementation is a method for rapid detection of phages in cells and liquid environmental samples.
• Creative Biolabs provides spot services include collecting environmental samples, direct isolation and plaque assay.

Enriched isolation service

• The enrichment separation method includes identifying the plaques on the solid medium.
• Creative Biolabs provides enriched isolation service allow the phages are extracted by mixing the soil sample with the bacterial growth medium.

Plaque assay service

• Plaque detection allows you to detect plaque on the "lawn" of the host bacteria.
• The bacterial lawn is made by mixing bacteria with liquid culture medium and agar, the concentration of which can make bacteria form a smooth opaque layer.

Spot test service

• Spot test is a method to screen multiple samples of phage on the same plate. It is always combined with enriched isolation service.
• Creative Biolabs provides spot services include size spot, determination of phage titer, and phage identification.

Isolation Process

Project Report

In the result report, Creative Biolabs will provide you with a detailed technical report, including:

• Experimental procedures
• Related experimental parameters
• Parameter settings used in the analysis process
• Data analysis results from pictures and tables
• Interpretation of results

The Advantages for Our Customers

• We will be your representative with phage isolation, from quoting to custom isolation service.
• Knowledge of your isolation, saving you time and money.
• Professionals analyze test data and effectively assist in solving technical problems.
• Our team is dedicated to meeting your needs as quickly as possible.
• Direct isolation combined with a plaque assay will be applied in the detection of phages

Creative Biolabs can meet the needs of customers for providing phage isolation services on time and on budget. Our skilled and dedicated scientific researchers ensure that the most suitable methods and techniques are selected for each professional 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).