A team led by Graham Hatfull at the University of Pittsburgh has achieved a groundbreaking feat: they’ve built bacteriophages—viruses that infect and kill bacteria—entirely from scratch using synthetic DNA. This achievement paves the way for a deeper understanding of these microscopic warriors and opens doors to novel antibacterial therapies in the face of growing antibiotic resistance.
The research, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, represents a significant leap forward in phage engineering. Traditionally, scientists have relied on naturally occurring phages to study bacterial infections. But with synthetic DNA, researchers now have the power to precisely manipulate the genetic blueprints of these viruses. Imagine having a toolbox filled with customizable viruses – that’s essentially what this breakthrough offers.
“This will accelerate discovery,” explains Hatfull. The natural world teems with phage diversity, but the functions of many individual genes within these viruses remain shrouded in mystery. “How are these genes regulated? Does every gene in a phage with 100 genes have a role to play? What happens if we remove this one or that one?” These were questions researchers could only speculate about before. Now, thanks to synthetic phages, they can directly test hypotheses and gain unprecedented insights into phage biology.
For their study, Hatfull’s team recreated two naturally occurring phages that target mycobacteria—the bacteria responsible for tuberculosis and leprosy among other diseases—using entirely synthetic DNA. They then meticulously added and deleted genes from these synthetic genomes, demonstrating the ability to precisely edit the genetic makeup of these viruses.
This level of control offers vast possibilities. The team sees potential in designing phages tailored to attack specific bacterial strains, addressing the growing global threat of antibiotic-resistant infections. In essence, they could engineer personalized phage therapies to combat drug-resistant bacteria that pose a significant challenge to modern medicine.
As Hatfull emphasizes, this breakthrough isn’t just about creating customized tools; it’s about unlocking the full potential of these fascinating viruses: “And now, the sky’s the limit. You can make any genome you want. You’re only limited by what you can imagine would be useful and interesting to make.” The future of phage research is brimming with possibilities, driven by this groundbreaking advancement in synthetic biology.
