Harnessing the Infectivity and Stability of Bacteriophage ΦNF-1 in a Phage-Based Product for Sustainable Nitrification Control
, expanding its known host range. ΦNF-1 remained infectious for over six months in aqueous suspensions at 4-20 °C and neutral to alkaline pH, but declined rapidly under acidic conditions. In agricultural soils, infectivity persisted for up to six months, though recovery was lower in sandy soils. A calcium carbonate-based photoprotectant significantly enhanced phage survival under UV and sunlight exposure. Overall, ΦNF-1 shows strong potential as a stable, host-specific biological nitrification inhibitor to improve nitrogen use efficiency and reduce environmental impacts of fertilization.
Authors
- Gloria Vique (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0584-7302)
- Ignasi Salaet (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4672-7147)
- Pedro Blanco‐Picazo
- Maite Muniesa (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5549-1394)
- Sergio Atarés
- María Dolores Ramos‐Barbero (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7893-8320)
- Pablo Quirós (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5770-1375)
- Lorena Rodríguez‐Rubio (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7846-4791)
- Laura Sala‐Comorera (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6507-5677)
- Aina Trenchs
Institutions
- Hospital Obispo Polanco (ES)
- Universitat de Barcelona (ES)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Environmental Science & Technology
- Published
- 2026-04-30
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.5c14179
- Primary Topic
- Bacteriophages and microbial interactions
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats
- Universitat de Barcelona
- Direcció General de Recerca, Generalitat de Catalunya