Epidemiology

Isolation and Characterisation of the first temperate phage capable of lysogenising M. tuberculosis

In an effort to develop luciferase reporter phage (LRP) constructs with high sensitivity of detection, attempts were made successfully for isolating a temperate mycobacteriophage capable of infecting and lysogenising M. tuberculosis.

Well stained acid fast bacilli (AFB) were demonstrated in smears prepared from pot stained sputum and smear results were comparable with conventional ZN method.

The efficiency of the construct was found to be higher than the existing LRPs with cultures as anticipated. The attempt marked the beginning of diverse attempts to improve the LRP diagnostic assay.

LRPs for the rapid detection of dormant tubercle bacilli

The luciferase reporter phages (LRP) show great promise for diagnostic mycobacteriology.

Since the tuberculosis (TB) cases among HIV infected population result from the reactivation of latent bacilli, development of LRPs capable of detecting dormant bacteria would be useful.

In a milestone study, 3 LRP constructs were developed using promoters of genes functioning during dormancy. These LRP constructs exhibited detectable luciferase activity in dormant as well as in actively growing M. tuberculosis .

Phagebiotics cocktail as substitute for antibiotic supplements in liquid culture of M. tuberculosis

Organisms of the normal flora that survive the action of the decontaminating agent during sputum processing can cause heavy contamination of the culture, especially liquid culture.

Antibiotic supplements are used in liquid cultures to control such growth despite reports that these agents have deleterious effect on the tubercle bacilli.

This study demonstrated a novel hypothesis that a cocktail of phages that infect and lyse these organisms could be used in liquid cultures instead of the antibiotic supplements with better decontaminating efficiency and M. tuberculosis retrieving capacity.

Further study established the feasibility of using phage lysin supplement to phagebiotics in decontaminating processed sputum samples in liquid culture of M. tuberculosis . The study opened up new possibility of developing a novel biofriendly method of sputum processing.

Phagebiotics cocktail as substitute for antibiotic supplements in liquid culture of M. tuberculosis

Organisms of the normal flora that survive the action of the decontaminating agent during sputum processing can cause heavy contamination of the culture, especially liquid culture.

Antibiotic supplements are used in liquid cultures to control such growth despite reports that these agents have deleterious effect on the tubercle bacilli.

This study demonstrated a novel hypothesis that a cocktail of phages that infect and lyse these organisms could be used in liquid cultures instead of the antibiotic supplements with better decontaminating efficiency and M. tuberculosis retrieving capacity.

Further study established the feasibility of using phage lysin supplement to phagebiotics in decontaminating processed sputum samples in liquid culture of M. tuberculosis . The study opened up new possibility of developing a novel biofriendly method of sputum processing.