Optimizing a bacteriophage cocktail's stability and commercial properties for application in industrial fermentation processes.

• Grant number: 25/03532-0
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Innovative Research in Small Business - PIPE
• Start date: November 01, 2025
• End date: October 31, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Chemical Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Marcelo Ventura Rubio
• Grantee: Marcelo Ventura Rubio
• Principal investigators: Daniel Ibraim Pires Atala ; Luciano Armiliato
• Associated research grant: 21/12144-3 - Development of a complex antibacterial cocktail and its application in industrial fermentation processes, AP.PIPE

Abstract

Bacteriophages are viruses specifically capable of infecting bacteria while being harmless to humans, animals, and plants. Since their discovery in 1915, they have been researched for their potential to control bacteria relevant to human medicine and the food industry. Since 2006, the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has approved the use of bacteriophages as food preservatives, and they can also serve as biological control agents for bacterial strains in fresh vegetables, meat, and meat products. In our proposal, we developed a cocktail of bacteriophages to manage bacterial contamination in industrial fermentation processes as an alternative to antibiotics and other chemicals that can harm the environment or the process itself. Bacterial contamination can result in losses of up to 27% in ethanol production; in earlier studies, we observed a 17% gain in fermentation efficiency. Bacteriophages offer numerous advantages as bacterial control agents: they have high specificity for their host, determined by receptors in the bacterial cell wall, and do not impact the remaining microbiota; they develop defense mechanisms for survival, continually adapting to their hosts; they exhibit low inherent toxicity, as they are primarily composed of nucleic acids and proteins; they are cost-effective and simple to isolate and propagate; they can endure industrial processing conditions and possess a long shelf life. To expedite the introduction of bacteriophages into the national market, we will develop cocktails and optimize stability, storage, and logistical conditions. Consequently, the following studies will be conducted in the downstream phase: evaluating compatibility with food stabilizers and preservatives, and assessing bacteriophage concentration methods such as filtration, spray drying, and lyophilization. The advancement of these techniques may eliminate the need for refrigeration of the cocktail and enable its use over extended periods, substantially reducing costs. The creation of an efficient cocktail with a broad spectrum of antibacterial action will facilitate the replacement of antibiotics in industrial processes, preventing the emergence of resistant microorganisms and the formation of bacterial biofilms. Beyond industrial applications, the development of a personalized phage cocktail holds significant potential for use in medicine, human and animal food safety, and environmental decontamination. (AU)