Adaptable Phage Solutions

Adaptable phage solutions: an Aotearoa-NZ platform for precision biocontrol for primary industries

The Adaptable Phage Solutions is a five year research programme enabled by Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment through the Endeavour Fund. This programme will develop a phage discovery and development pipeline that can produce precise biocontrol phage combinations for the prevention, reduction, and treatment of bacterial pathogens across key primary industries in New Zealand.

Background

The Adaptable Phage Solutions programme will run from October 2023 to September 2028. It will develop a phage discovery and development pipeline that can produce precise biocontrol phage combinations for the prevention, reduction, and treatment of bacterial pathogens.

The initial products intended to be developed via the pipeline will use phages (viruses that infect and kill bacteria, also known as bacteriophages) as biocontrol tools against some of New Zealand’s most well-known bacterial pathogens of across a variety of primary industries. Find out more about phages here.

Environmental and sustainability benefits include a reduction of toxic agrichemicals, better user safety, brand identity and enhanced market access for products in environmentally conscious global markets.

Funder

Partners

University of Canterbury, University of Otago, Plant and Food, Biosouth, ESR, Cawthron

NZ scientists hope to end AFB, a devastating bee disease

Scientists are working on an innovative new method to limit the spread of American Foulbrood, a pathogen feared by New Zealand beekeepers.

Researchers at the Phage-host interactions (Phi) laboratory, University of Otago

Sustainable biocontrols for food industry trialled

‘Nature’s ninjas’ could help protect kiwifruit and bees from dangerous pathogens if new research by a team of Canterbury and Otago scientists pays off.

Otago Research Group Award

The Department of Microbiology and Immunology Phage-host interactions (Phi) laboratory, winners of this year’s Otago Research Group Award.

Click Here

Millions in Funding Moves AFB ‘Vaccine’ a Step Closer

The potential of an American foulbrood (AFB) preventative treatment or ‘vaccine’ for New Zealand beehives got another big step closer recently, with Dr Heather Hendrickson’s lab at the University of Canterbury (UC) awarded a share of almost $9 million to further their research into the use of bacteriophages to control AFB pathogens.

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

You can also sign up for the quarterly Adaptable Phage Solutions Programme Newsletter by emailing us.

Email us