Phage Treatment of Problem Causing Bacteria in Activated Sludge

Bacteriophages that can infect and lyse bacteria are a promising source of treatments for a range of problems such as sludge foaming,
bulking and the presence of pathogenic organisms that may be resistant to antibiotics. The development of a phage library
could provide a source of targeted treatments for common problem-causers that don’t affect the entire microbial community
as traditional treatments do. This study aimed to isolate bacteria and isolate and enrich their phages, to study the phage-host
dynamics and ability to act as biocontrol treatments. Whole genome sequencing of isolates and phage allowed detailed
explorations of their taxonomy and characteristics. The Bacillus mycoides isolates were focused on for their unusual large�scale branching structures which could contribute to sludge bulking, and other isolates were explored for interesting
characteristics such as antibiotic resistance, bioremediation potential or being under described in literature. 6 phage stocks
were enriched from activated sludge, 5 of which were fully isolated, with 4 potentially novel phages, and the first finding of an
integrated filamentous bacteriophage for Acinetobacter bouvetti. This research used wild organisms to analyse the phage-host
microbiome in sludge and demonstrated that within months it was possible to isolate a problematic host and effectively treat it
using phage.