Methods for isolating phage and for controlling microorganism populations with the phage

摘要

A lytic virus specific for a target strain of a microorganism and substantially free of undesirable genes may be utilized in processes including control of populations of microorganisms. The virus may include a host-range mutant, or “h-mutant.” A method for generating virus includes growing virus-resistant variants of a target strain of a microorganism in the presence of viruses that are specific for the target strain. Only h-mutant viruses will proliferate. Wild-type virus-resistant and virus-resistant variants of a microorganism are also disclosed, as are methods generating such variants. Methods for controlling target strain microorganisms include introducing virus into a treatment site where control of a population of a target strain microorganism is desired or introducing virus-resistant variants of a microorganism into treatment sites where the presence of the microorganism is desired.

主权项

1. A method of controlling a population of a target strain of a microorganism on a food, comprising:
introducing a virus composition into contact with a food that has been at least partially prepared for consumption, the food possibly contaminated with a target strain of a host microorganism,
the target strain of the host microorganism comprising a microorganism that causes a disease state in humans or animals or a microorganism that causes food to spoil,the virus composition comprising variant virus particles, the variant virus particles having an expanded host range over a wild-type virus particle, the expanded host range including:
a wild-type of the target strain of the host microorganism; andat least one virus-resistant variation of the target strain of the host microorganism that resists infection by the wild-type virus particle; and permitting the variant virus particles to bind to and infect:
the wild-type of the target strain of the host microorganism; andthe at least one virus-resistant variation of the target strain of the host microorganism to limit growth of a population of the wild-type of the target strain of the host microorganism and the at least one virus-resistant variation of the target strain of the host microorganism.