Descripción del proyecto
Uso de los genes de virus bacteriófagos para erradicar el principal contaminante alimentario en Europa
Los virus y las bacterias no siempre conviven pacíficamente. Los bacteriófagos, o «comedores» de bacterias, son virus que infectan bacterias. Secuestran la maquinaria de la célula y la obligan a satisfacer las necesidades del virus, en lugar de las de la bacteria, lo que provoca finalmente la muerte de esta. Los bacteriófagos llevan decenios utilizándose para tratar infecciones bacterianas. El equipo del proyecto AntiCamp, financiado con fondos europeos, ha desarrollado partículas patentadas basadas en fagos y tiene previsto utilizarlas para combatir la bacteria «Campylobacter jejuni», el contaminante transmitido por los alimentos más común en Europa. La comercialización de este método seguro, rentable y único permitirá eliminar la «C. jejuni» de los alimentos sin restarles atractivo.
Objetivo
Campylobacter jejuni is the most common foodborne contamination in Europe, affecting millions of people, and costing billions of Euros. Current procedures to treat this contamination do not offer sufficient solutions. Here I present a unique approach to eradicate the pathogen from food by utilizing a cost-effective and safe product that does not alter the taste, texture, or appearance of the food. This innovation involves a spray composed of proprietary phage-based particles, which inject antibacterial genes into C. jejuni, thus killing the pathogen. Current phage-based technologies for decontaminating food encounter a major hurdle, because large-scale phage production in the fastidious and pathogenic C. jejuni strain is highly challenging. However, a major advantage of my product is that it can be prepared in a safe and easy-to-grow Escherichia coli host rather than in C. jejuni. Another significant advantage is that the technology producing the phages enables rapid and efficient modifications to the phage-based particles. This platform thus allows easy isolation and manufacture of cocktails of phage-based particles able to target a variety of pathogenic serotypes of C. jejuni. Furthermore, the proprietary particles all have a common scaffold, thus simplifying the regulation, safety, and route of manufacture. I propose a clear commercialization activity with a highly qualified team that I recruited, from both the scientific and commercialization fields. Developing and commercializing this product will provide a proof-of-concept to demonstrate the strength of this approach and will thus pave the way for additional innovative materials based on this technology.
Ámbito científico
Programa(s)
Régimen de financiación
ERC-POC - Proof of Concept GrantInstitución de acogida
69978 Tel Aviv
Israel