Bacteriophages in biotechnology

Bacteriophages are viruses that infect bacteria and were discovered at the beginning of the twentieth century. The study of their comparatively simple biology has resulted in some of the most significant breakthroughs in molecular biology. In recent years there has been a noticeable reinvigoration in the field with scientists now beginning to look to phage for solutions to practical as well as fundamental biological problems. This resurgence in popularity has opened up new avenues of phage-based research such as ecology, evolution, nanotechnology, bacterial pathogenesis and phage basedimmunology, therapeutics and diagnostics. This review will focus on recent advances in these areas with specific reference to biotechnology-based applications.