Phage campaigning continues with MP visit

The MP came to meet Prof Chloë James and her team following earlier engagements about antimicrobial resistance in parliament. She was keen to find out more about how phage therapy could help. The local politician was shown around the University’s research labs and Makerspace to gain insight into how scientists are working creatively to solve this global challenge.

Bacteriophages (phages for short) are viruses that infect bacteria. They are the most abundant and diverse organisms on the planet and their actions impact the fundamental biology of everything on it. Phages have been in an evolutionary battle with their bacterial hosts for millions of years. Whilst some form partnerships with the bacteria they infect, helping them to adapt to new surroundings,  others are being developed as novel antibacterials (phage therapy). But more investment is needed for the treatment to move forward, something Prof James has been campaigning for.

Prof James and her students showed Ms Long-Bailey how they grow phages in the lab and explained how their research is uncovering the secrets of phage biology. They also talked about the creative work they are doing to help people understand more about phages.  The day ended with an insightful discussion, about the country’s progress towards effective deployment of phage therapy, how phage technology is moving forwards and the current challenges that need to be overcome.

Rebecca’s advice on spreading the message was to familiarise the public with scientific language wherever possible, to better enable people to understand the significance of phages. Emphasising this message, Chloe stressed the importance of their work being valued not just globally but locally too, saying: “The University serves the local community so it’s important we benefit them. We want our research to generate meaningful impact, and having influential people like Rebecca Long-Bailey supporting us really helps.”

Rebecca Long-Bailey said: “The antimicrobial potential of phage therapy to help fight antibiotic resistant bacteria is a gamechanger, so it was very exciting to visit the University of Salford’s research and maker labs to see Prof Chloe James and team’s innovative work on finding new bacteriophages and some of the brilliant tools they have built to explain how they work for people needing treatments with them in future.”

On a mission to integrate more microbiology into the national curriculum, Prof James is keen to spread the message about phages and to help society find solutions to the global challenge of antimicrobial resistance. She explains that if the wider public (not just scientists), were familiar with the topic of phages the impact of their use as therapeutics would be much greater.

Working towards this, Chloe and her team have developed interactive models and virtual reality applications to actively engage with schools, museums, patients, healthcare workers, industries and politicians. These tools are designed to encourage more knowledge exchange on phages and more comprehensive education on the topic.