ECOPHAGE: Combating Antimicrobial Resistance Using Bacteriophages for Eco-Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems
Pilar García,
Rafael Tabla,
Hany Anany,
Roberto Bastias,
Lone Brøndsted,
Susana Casado,
Pablo Cifuentes,
John Deaton,
Thomas G. Denes,
Mohammad Aminul Islam,
Rob Lavigne,
Andrea I. Moreno-Switt,
Natsuko Nakayama,
Cristina Muñoz Madero,
Alexander Sulakvelidze,
Antonet M. Svircev,
Jeroen Wagemans,
Elena G. Biosca,
Dácil Rivera
Affiliations
Pilar García
Instituto de Productos Lácteos de Asturias—Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IPLA-CSIC), 33300 Villaviciosa, Spain
Rafael Tabla
Centro de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas de Extremadura (CICYTEX), 06071 Badajoz, Spain
Hany Anany
Guelph Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Guelph, ON N1G 5C9, Canada
Roberto Bastias
Instituto de Biología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Valparaíso 2340000, Chile
Lone Brøndsted
Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 1870 Copenhagen, Denmark
Susana Casado
Spanish Agency of Medicines and Health Products (AEMPS), 28022 Madrid, Spain
Pablo Cifuentes
PhageLab®, Santiago 7820244, Chile
John Deaton
ADM Science & Technology, Kennesaw, GA 30152, USA
Thomas G. Denes
Department of Food Science, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
Mohammad Aminul Islam
Paul G. Allen School for Global Health, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA
Rob Lavigne
Department of Biosystems, KU Leuven, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium
Andrea I. Moreno-Switt
Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Facultad de Agronomía y Sistemas Naturales, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 7820435, Chile
Natsuko Nakayama
Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency (FRA), Hiroshima 739-0452, Japan
Cristina Muñoz Madero
Department of Medicines for Veterinary Use, Coordinator of the National Antibiotics Plan, Spanish Agency of Medicines and Health Products (AEMPS), 28022 Madrid, Spain
Alexander Sulakvelidze
Intralytix, Inc., 8681 Robert Fulton Dr., Columbia, MD 21046, USA
Antonet M. Svircev
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Vineland Station, ON L0R 2E0, Canada
Jeroen Wagemans
Department of Biosystems, KU Leuven, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium
Elena G. Biosca
Departamento de Microbiología y Ecología, Universitat de València (UV), 46100 Valencia, Spain
Dácil Rivera
Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andrés Bello, Santiago 8320000, Chile
The focus of this meeting was to discuss the suitability of using bacteriophages as alternative antimicrobials in the agrifood sector. Following a One Health approach, the workshop explored the possibilities of implementing phage application strategies in the agriculture, animal husbandry, aquaculture, and food production sectors. Therefore, the meeting had gathered phage researchers, representatives of the agrifood industry, and policymakers to debate the advantages and potential shortcomings of using bacteriophages as alternatives to traditional antimicrobials and chemical pesticides. Industry delegates showed the latest objectives and demands from consumers. Representatives of regulatory agencies (European Medicines Agency (EMA) and Spanish Agency of Medicines and Health Products (AEMPS)) presented an update of new regulatory aspects that will impact and support the approval and implementation of phage application strategies across the different sectors.
