Antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections have become a ‘silent pandemic’ making common infections untreatable. This growing problem of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is projected to surpass cancer and other diseases to become a leading cause of death in the future, especially in countries such as India. Therefore, there is an urgent need for alternative strategies to combat multidrug-resistant bacterial infections.

Bacteriophages, or phages, are naturally abundant viruses that specifically infect and kill bacteria without affecting other organisms, including humans. Phage therapy is an approach that utilizes bacteriophages to treat antibiotic-resistant infections. Although this concept has existed for over a century, phage therapy is now being revitalized in countries such as Israel, France, Belgium, and the United States through integration with modern technologies. However, its clinical application remains limited in India, where the burden of AMR is particularly severe and such solutions are critically needed.

In this project, we propose to combine genomic analysis of clinical pathogens from Indian hospitals with the development of phage therapy–based interventions to target these infections. The bench-to-bedside approach aims to translate laboratory findings into practical clinical applications. Overall, by integrating pathogen genomics with translational phage research, this project aims to establish a precision phage therapy framework suited to the needs of our country. We envision that the outcomes of this project will serve a key contribution for the implementation of phage therapy to treat life-threatening infections in India.