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Tackling Antibiotic Resistance
We facilitate the application of antibacterial phage technology
in the developing world
Check out this film trailer for an upcoming documentary about phages,
featuring work by our workshop instructors, participants & collaborators in Africa!
- Many thanks to ID Productions and Telus Independent -
Did You Know?
By 2050 an estimated 10 million people will die each year from antibiotic resistant infections.
Approximately 90% of those deaths will be in developing countries in Africa and Asia.
Our goal is to decrease those numbers by bringing phage technology to developing world scientists.
Photo courtesy Dr. Martha Clokie
What Are Phages?
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Bacteriophages (phages) are bacteria-killing viruses in the environment, our food, and our bodies
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Phages kill only specific bacteria while leaving helpful bacteria and human cells unharmed
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Before the discovery of antibiotics, phages were used as antibacterial products in the US, Europe & Asia
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Phages have been used for >100 years in the former Soviet Union, including as over-the-counter drugs
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Notably, phages can kill antibiotic-resistant bacteria
Photo courtesy Dr. Martha Clokie
How Can Phages Be Used?
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The FDA and USDA have approved phage products in the US for food decontamination
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Phages targeting bacterial pests have been developed to protect crops and livestock
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Decades ago phages were used in India to decontaminate water during cholera outbreaks
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Numerous phage clinical trials are ongoing in the US, France, Switzerland, Belgium, the UK, and Australia
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Several recent cases have highlighted how phages can save people with antibiotic-resistant infections
Photo courtesy Dr. Tobi Nagel