Analysis of bacteriophage diversity in Ganga river ecosystem: insights from metagenome-based sequencing

Water from the Ganga River and its tributaries is the main freshwater resource in the northern parts of India and has experienced rigorous ecological deterioration because of the continuous discharge of untreated polluted industrial and household effluents, resulting in increased chemical and microbial loads of pollution. Water is an essential requirement for millions of people and supports a complex ecosystem that includes a variety of microbial species. Among them, bacteriophages are essential for controlling bacterial populations and the dynamics of microbial communities. The knowledge of the diversity and functions of bacteriophages is poorly understood in the River Ganges. Using cutting-edge metagenomic techniques, we explore the diversity of viruses, specifically the bacteriophages in the river, offering a real picture of bacteriophage populations and their ecological functions. Metagenomic datasets were produced by high-throughput sequencing and were used to determine bacteriophage sequences, viral genome similarity, and potential functions. Initial findings demonstrated a significant degree of diversity among bacteriophages. The results demonstrated three families of phage (Casjensviridae, Rountreeviridae, and Peduoviridae).The bacteriophages of these families were identified to infect a variety of bacteria. The results offer important insights into the bacteriophage ecology of freshwater ecosystems, highlighting the necessity for deeper investigation into phage-bacterial interactions in aquatic environments. Gaining a deeper understanding of bacteriophage diversity and their roles in the Ganges can aid in developing phage-driven approaches for environmental monitoring and management, especially in tackling issues like pollution, eutrophication, and antibiotic resistance. These metagenomic results present a genomic basis for investigating environmental bacteriophage and viruses in sustainable water quality management and the generation of bacteriophage-based therapeutic interventions.