Dri-Lyse Bacteriophage Technology (IUK 106291): Addressing the Challenges and Opportunities relating to COVID-19

新鲜农产品的细菌病原体由于疾病、损坏和不符合市场规格而造成重大损失，而没有具体的控制措施。减少作物和废弃食品的处理，加上实现足够的可销售产量所需的额外农业土地和水，所有这些都增加了粮食生产的碳足迹（“粮食足迹”）和更有效的农业系统，减少浪费是实现英国和欧盟提高粮食生产率和减少浪费的目标的优先事项。噬菌体 ** 是病毒;它们是地球上最丰富的生物。作为天然存在的细菌天敌，它们作为目标农业抗菌控制产品引起了相当大的关注。它们对消费者完全安全，高度宿主特异性，对环境或非目标影响为零。APS生物防治在证明其减少细菌性植物病害的潜力方面取得了良好进展，但产品的商业可行性有限;液体产品的热稳定性有限，需要低温储存和运输，这影响了其成本，保质期和储存。该项目的 ** 主要目标 ** 是解决这些限制，开发热稳定的干燥噬菌体产品（_Dri-Lyse）;_通过与英国疫苗和治疗药物开发商Stabilitech BioPharma合作实现，该平台技术可显着提高产品稳定性，包括病毒和基于天然存在于食品中的独特，安全的小分子（“赋形剂”）。该项目将专注于英国和更广泛的欧洲马铃薯市场;通过之前的Innovate UK支持，APS已经开发出一种有效的噬菌体混合物（“BPSRE”），用于对抗细菌诱导的马铃薯“Blackleg”，每年造成5000万英镑的英国总损失。全球7.5亿英镑APS还开发了一种液体噬菌体产品（Biolyse），以针对这种疾病造成的下游损失;最常见的是在包装车间腐烂的土豆。** 技术创新 ** 的重点将是创造一种优化的辅料混合物，以保持BPSRE混合物的活性。我们的愿景是从液体噬菌体混合物转变为片剂/粉末形式，在使用时可再水化。好处将是更长的保质期，使产品更可制造。此外，消除了冷藏和运输的需求，它们对客户更具吸引力，并且更好地应对出口市场的业务增长和全球化。一旦在马铃薯市场得到证明，更长远的愿景是解决英国和全球其他高价值的新鲜农产品市场。

Bacterial pathogens of fresh produce are responsible for substantial losses through disease, damage and failure to meet market specifications, with no specific controls. Diseased crop and waste-food disposal, plus additional agricultural land and water required to achieve sufficient marketable yields all add up to increase the carbon footprint of food production ("foodprint") and more efficient agricultural systems, with less wastage are a priority to meet UK and EU targets of increased food productivity and reduced waste.**Bacteriophage** are viruses; they are the most abundant organisms on earth. As naturally-occurring bacterial enemies, they are attracting considerable attention as targeted agricultural antibacterial-control products. They are completely safe for the consumer, highly host-specific and have zero environmental or non-target impacts. APS Biocontrol has made good progress in demonstrating their potential in reducing bacterial plant disease but product commercial viability is limited; liquid products have limited thermal-stability, requiring low-temperature storage and transport, which impacts on their cost, shelf-life and storage. The project's **key objective** is to address these limitations, developing thermally-stable, dry bacteriophage products (_Dri-Lyse);_ achieved through working with Stabilitech BioPharma, an established UK developer of vaccines and therapeutics, with platform technologies to significantly enhance product stability, including for viruses and based around unique, safe, small molecules ("excipients") which are naturally present in foods. In pilot studies, their technology has given promising thermal stabilisation of sample bacteriophage, forming the background to this project.The project will focus on the UK and wider European potato market; through previous Innovate UK support APS has developed an effective bacteriophage mix ("BPSRE") against bacterial-induced "Blackleg" of potatoes, responsible for £50M UK total losses p.a. and £750M worldwide. APS has also developed a liquid bacteriophage product (Biolyse) to target the downstream losses caused by this disease; most frequently realised in the pack house as rotting potatoes. The focus of the **technical Innovation** will be creating an optimised excipient mix to maintain the activity of the BPSRE mix.Our vision is to switch from liquid bacteriophage mixes to a tableted/powered form, rehydratable at the point of use. Benefits will be a longer shelf life, making the products more manufacturable. Also, removing the need for chilled storage and transport, they become more attractive to the customer and significantly better placed to address export markets for business growth and globalisation. Once proven in the potato market, the longer vision is to address other high-value fresh-produce markets, both in the UK and globally.