Using bacteriophages to characterize gut microbe interactions in situ.

Authors :: Cookson TA
Source :: Medical hypotheses [Med Hypotheses] 2021 Oct 22; Vol. 158, pp. 110715. Date of Electronic Publication: 2021 Oct 22.
Publication Year :: 2021
Publisher :: Ahead of Print
Abstract: As bacteriophage therapy is being investigated more as an alternative to antibiotics, laboratories are isolating and characterizing the functions of bacteriophages. Additionally, with large variations between gut microbiome studies and inconsistencies in results, there is a need for discrete characterization of specific gut microbes in situ. This hypothesis paper describes a method to utilize bacteriophages in order to outline the functions of specific gut bacteria in existing biological systems with minimal disturbance. Further, the effects of specific microbe depletion on gut bacterial composition and host health can theoretically also be measured.<br /> (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)