Abstract 3030 Phage-Based Approaches to Eliminate or Alter Bacteria within Complex Microbial Communities

Bacteriophages are major drivers of microbial ecosystems, predating on specific microbial strains. Here, I will discuss the use of bacteriophages to eliminate multi-drug resistant bacteria from a complex microbial community in the mouse gut. First, I will outline isolation, characterization, and design efforts to compile effective cocktails of phages that eliminate the emergence of resistant bacterial mutants. Further, I will present the unexpected effects of bacteriophages on driving bacterial evolution in the gut environment as well as the profound effects environment has on phage-bacterial interactions.