Refining the transcriptional landscapes for distinct clades of virulent phages infecting Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Putzeys and others
microLife, Vol. 5, 2024, uqae002
https://doi.org/10.1093/femsml/uqae002

The opposite effects of stringent response on phage infection of Pseudomonas putida

Lewańczyk and others
microLife, Vol. 7, 2026, uqaf048
https://doi.org/10.1093/femsml/uqaf048

We demonstrate that some phages are inhibited by stringent response while others require it for efficient infections of Pseudomonas putida, a biotechnologically important model organism.

Agtrevirus phage AV101 recognizes four different O-antigens infecting diverse E. coli

Sørensen et al.
microLife, Vol. 5, 2024, uqad047
https://doi.org/10.1093/femsml/uqad047

Agtrevirus phage AV101 expresses four unique tail spike proteins that recognize different O-antigens of E. coli, including strains producing Extended Spectrum β-Lactamases.

Host and nonhost bacteria support bacteriophage dissemination along mycelia and abiotic dispersal networks

Périat and others
microLife, Vol. 5, 2024, uqae004
https://doi.org/10.1093/femsml/uqae004

Demonstration of the important positive role of host carriers and fungal highways in the dissemination of bacteriophages in soil.

Time-series metaproteogenomics of a high-CO₂ aquifer reveals active viruses with fluctuating abundances and broad host ranges

Carrie Julia Moore and others
microLife, Volume 5, 2024, uqae011
https://doi.org/10.1093/femsml/uqae011

The high carbon dioxide cold-water geyser Wallender Born harbors active and diverse viral communities as shown through metaproteogenome analysis.

The role of rhizosphere phages in soil health

Xiaofang Wang and others
FEMS Microbiology Ecology, Volume 100, Issue 5, May 2024, fiae052
https://doi.org/10.1093/femsec/fiae052

We outline the significance of soil phages for plant health within the rhizosphere, delving into their ecological and evolutionary impacts on soil biodiversity and ecosystem functioning.

Weberviruses are gut-associated phages that infect Klebsiella spp.

Samuel J. T. Dawson and others
FEMS Microbiology Ecology, Volume 101, Issue 5, May 2025, fiaf043
https://doi.org/10.1093/femsec/fiaf043

Combining data from isolated phages and metagenome-assembled genomes greatly expands the availability of curated phage genome sequences for use in genomic and ecological studies.

Microbial community structure is affected by phage-resistance associated increases in host density

Meaghan Castledine and others
FEMS Microbiology Ecology, Volume 101, Issue 4, April 2025, fiaf027
https://doi.org/10.1093/femsec/fiaf027

Microbial community structure is affected by phage resistance evolution in Variovorax, which increases host density.

Multireceptor phage cocktail against Salmonella enterica to circumvent phage resistance

Carlos E. Martinez-Soto and others
microLife, Volume 5, 2024, uqae003
https://doi.org/10.1093/femsml/uqae003

In vitro and in vivo selection and cost of bacteriophage resistance on natural Escherichia coli

Luís Leónidas Cardoso and others
microLife, Volume 6, 2025, uqaf017
https://doi.org/10.1093/femsml/uqaf017

Bacteriophages offer a promising alternative to antibiotics. However, bacteria can develop resistance to phages, potentially limiting treatment success. This study examines how such resistance emerges and what it costs bacteria.

Phage cocktails: state-of-the-art technologies and strategies for effective design

Tomoyoshi Kaneko and others
FEMS Microbiology Reviews, Volume 50, 2026, fuaf061
https://doi.org/10.1093/femsre/fuaf061

This comprehensive review systematically examines cutting-edge design principles for phage cocktails, focusing on strategies to prevent antimicrobial resistance through receptor diversity, phage-antibiotic combinations, and network-based approaches.

Limitations and safety aspects related to the use of bacteriophages in food production

Angelika Roth and others
FEMS Microbiology Reviews, Volume 50, 2026, fuag002
https://doi.org/10.1093/femsre/fuag002

Bacteriophages can be used as antimicrobial agents and contribute to food safety. However, their range of application and effectiveness are limited, their regulatory classification is not yet conclusively clarified, and certain safety aspects are still debated.

Archaeal virus entry and egress

Bastiaan P. Kuiper and others
microLife, Volume 5, 2024, uqad048
https://doi.org/10.1093/femsml/uqad048

The complexity of multiple CRISPR arrays in strains with co-occurring CRISPR systems

Axel Fehrenbach and others
microLife, Volume 7, 2026, uqaf042
https://doi.org/10.1093/femsml/uqaf042

We reveal the diversity among CRISPR arrays across different CRISPR types, highlighting remarkable variation in array lengths, genomic location and orientation, repeat sequences, and potential interactions among co-occurring CRISPR-Cas systems.

Comprehensive analysis of CRISPR array repeat mutations reveals subtype-specific patterns and links to spacer dynamics

Alexander Mitrofanov and others
microLife, Volume 7, 2026, uqaf050
https://doi.org/10.1093/femsml/uqaf050

Comprehensive analysis of CRISPR array repeat mutations reveals subtype-specific patterns and links to spacer dynamics.

French Phage Network annual conference: ninth meeting report

Fernando Clavijo-Coppens and others
microLife, Volume 6, 2025, uqaf014
https://doi.org/10.1093/femsml/uqaf014