Clara Torres-Barceló (University of Montpellier) and colleagues introduce the Phylogenetic Host-Range Index (PHRI) — a new metric to classify phages as specialists or generalists based on bacterial genetic diversity.
Using phages infecting Ralstonia spp. from Mauritius and Reunion, they reveal context-dependent virulence–host range trade-offs and show generalist phages are more frequently targeted by CRISPR-Cas systems. Their work bridges ecological theory and application in biocontrol.
Rabia Fatima (McMaster University) and colleagues have published a new review on phage-antibiotic synergy against Pseudomonas, synthesizing clinical successes and the mechanisms behind them while underscoring the tenuous links between current in-vitro assays and patient outcomes. They call for standardized protocols to bridge this gap.
Toni Nagy (University of Colorado, Boulder) and colleagues published a new paper on systematic identification of phage immune triggers, showing that screening 400 phage proteins across 72 E. coli strains revealed over 100 phage-host immune interactions, discovering novel defense system PD-T2-1 and identifying major capsid proteins as Avs8 activators.
Chujin Ruan (Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag)) and colleagues published a new paper on how phage-mediated peripheral kill-the-winner facilitates the maintenance of costly antibiotic resistance.
Afif Jati (Monash University) and colleagues published a new paper in npj Viruses on how highly stable phages PIN1 and PIN2 have hallmarks of flagellotropic phages but infect immotile bacteria.
