We will give you a merge between novel phage research and the personal experiences of people in the field.
Learn phage science and how to navigate your careers, your life and do research!
Brought to you by David Sáez, Maria Sequeira Lopes and Alexandre Lima.
Enjoy the show!
For comments and inquiries reach out to phagecast@gmail.com
31.- Lone Brøndsted: what excellence means in phage research.
How do you create a research environment where people feel safe to make mistakes? And how do you balance publishing pressure, scientific quality and mental health?
In this episode, we speak with Lone Brønsted, Professor at the University of Copenhagen, leader of the PHAGEBio research group and current president of the ISVM.
We cover her work on bacteriophages, phage–host interactions, and what it means to do excellent science.
We discuss in the episode the molecular mechanisms that determine how phages recognize their hosts, with a particular focus on receptor-binding proteins and the diversity of strategies phages use to identify and infect bacterial cells. We also talk about phage dark matter and the challenges of studying phages that remain poorly characterized.
We then discuss examples of her research involving important bacterial pathogens, including ESBL-producing E. coli and Salmonella, and why a strong fundamental understanding of phage biology is essential if we want to translate phage research into new applications.
A major part of the conversation moves beyond the science to explore what scientific excellence actually means. We discuss research culture, leadership, effective communication, responsibility, and how to create a safe environment where people can make mistakes, particularly during difficult periods.
We also talk about how to retain talented researchers, how to balance the pressure to publish with the need to produce high-quality science, and how to protect mental health throughout the process.
15 Jul 2026
30.- Dr. Yang Shen: Why we need phages in aquaculture & ACD Pharma
In this episode, we speak with Dr. Yang Shen, R&D Director at ACD Pharma in Norway, about the use of bacteriophages in aquaculture and the challenges of controlling bacterial diseases in fish farming.
We begin with an introduction to aquaculture, discussing how fish are produced, why bacterial infections are a major challenge, and how antibiotic use is regulated in this industry. Yang explains the most important pathogens affecting salmon production, including Yersinia ruckeri and Moritella viscosa, and how environmental factors such as biofilms and climate change influence disease outbreaks.
We then focus on Custus®YRS, the world's first commercial bacteriophage product for aquaculture, developed to control Yersinia ruckeri infections in salmon. We discuss how phages are delivered in aquaculture systems, the emergence of bacterial resistance, and the advantages and limitations of phage therapy compared with conventional antibiotics.
Finally, Yang shares his career journey from academia to industry, reflecting on the differences between both environments, what he looks for in young researchers, and his advice for PhD students and scientists in the phage world.
In this episode of Phage Bites, we speak with Luciana Meneses about her recent Nature Communications study on the directed evolution of phages in biofilms and how this approach can improve the control of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
We discuss how phages can adapt to the heterogeneous bacterial populations found within biofilms, the experimental evolution strategy used in the study, and how evolved phages achieved improved recognition of bacterial lipopolysaccharides. We also cover the methods used to characterize these adaptations.
A major focus of the conversation is the relevance of these findings for phage therapy. We discuss how bacterial populations within biofilms are far from uniform, why this heterogeneity can limit the efficacy of phage treatments, and how evolving phages under biofilm conditions may generate variants better suited to target clinically relevant bacterial subpopulations.
We also explore the broader implications of using experimental evolution as a strategy to improve phage performance against chronic biofilm-associated infections.
Finally, Luciana shares her experience as a PhD student in the Azeredo Lab, reflects on the challenges and rewarding aspects of the project, and offers advice for students and young researchers interested in the field of phage biology.
Do not forget that Viruses of Microbes is still accepting inscriptions and will take place in Prague from 6-10 July 2026.
Who has been a guest on PhageCast
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Rob Lavigne
Jean Paul Pirnay
Sara Djebara
Mzia Kutateladze
Alexander Harms
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Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
3 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 26 / 100
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Quality
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Social presence
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YouTube
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Engagement
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