ISOLATION, CHARACTERIZATION AND STABILIZATION OF STRICTLY LYTIC BACTERIOPHAGE PARTICLES AGAINST PSEUDOMONAS AERUGINOSA IN A BIOPOLIMERIC MATRIX

In this research, the potential of isolation (from environmental sources) and characterization of novel bacteriophage particles with broad lytic spectrum capable of infecting Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains were investigated. The physicochemical characterization of the isolated bacteriophages included verification of bacterial lysis, amplification of the bacteriophages in their bacterial host, titration of the concentrated suspensions, SDS-PAGE, XRD and UV-Vis scans, whereas biological characterization encompassed evaluation of their lytic spectra, efficiency of plating, determination of the one-step growth curves for latent period and burst size determinations, and determination of the adsorption curves. Additionally, a (non-toxic) hydrogel was developed, aiming at structurally and functionally stabilizing the bacteriophage particles with maintenance of their lytic activity, envisaging potential pharmacological applications. The bacteriophages isolated and characterized produced clear and different plaques of bacterial lysis and exhibited a broad lytic spectrum against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, proving to be suitable candidates for pharmacological applications against bacterial strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.