MICROBIOLOGY CONFERENCE


Many of the leading microbiology companies supported the conference.


designed to increase permanent pools, reducing seasonal flooding, and allowing predators to establish thus contributing to a decline in the overall mosquito burden. So that ticks didn’t feel left out Dr Vaux


then gave a brief overview of the tick awareness schemes that seek to produce modelled data to record and monitor the distribution of around 20 native tick species. This can then be used to identify areas of high risk for tick-borne infections such as Lyme disease, and identify year- on-year changes to this distribution. Dr Vaux covered a lot of information


in his fascinating talk and gave an insight into the breadth and complexity of the work undertaken within the MEZE team. With the recent detection of Usutu virus, a mosquito-borne agent particularly associated with blackbirds but capable of infecting humans, there always seems to be something new in the world of medical entomology. With a changing global climate and increased global connectivity, it seems likely that this work will become increasingly important. It will be fascinating to see how the distribution of different vector species change and the impact this has both on human and animal diseases in the coming years.


In defence of anaerobic bacteriology: expect the unexpected Professor Michael Wren MBE FRSB FIBMS urged delegates to “expect the unexpected” when investigating suspected anaerobic infections, demonstrating how appropriate anaerobic culture can reveal clinically significant pathogens with important implications for patient management. Professor Wren discussed how


successful anaerobic bacteriology depends on the entire diagnostic pathway, from specimen selection through to culture and identification. Drawing on a series of case studies, he demonstrated how significant


The RAF Museum in Hendon, North London, once again hosted the conference.


anaerobes can be missed without appropriate anaerobic conditions, suitable culture media and sufficient incubation time. Regarding specimen type, aspirated


pus offers substantially higher recovery rates than those achieved from swabs. Careful selection of culture media is equally important, particularly where multiple morphological types are observed on direct Gram stain, as a single selective medium is frequently insufficient. Incubation should be continuous for at least 48 hours before reading, and extended to up to five days where not all morphological types identified on direct Gram stain have been recovered. Professor Wren presented a range


of clinical scenarios in which anaerobic bacteria proved to be significant pathogens, including cases of recurrent or persistent sore throat, peritonitis and post-operative prosthetic joint infection. He concluded that anaerobic bacteriology remains an essential component of modern diagnostic microbiology and that, through appropriate culture methods and adequate incubation, laboratories should continue to expect the unexpected.


Getting bacteriophages closer to clinical development In concluding the day’s scientific programme, Professor Martha Clokie, Director of the Becky Mayer Centre for Phage Research, University of Leicester, outlined the significant progress being made towards bacteriophage therapy becoming a genuine clinical prospect. Advances in phage discovery, characterisation and translational research are helping to overcome what she described as a translational catch 22. While clinical data are needed for regulatory approval, generating those data depends on the manufacturing capacity required for clinical trials. The growing international


effort to address these challenges includes the international PHASEK project, which is helping to develop the evidence, infrastructure and clinical pathways needed to translate phage therapy into routine healthcare. Professor Clokie explored how


advances in genomics, artificial intelligence and sequencing technology are now accelerating phage discovery and development. Among the tools highlighted were Plaque-2-sequence, a rapid, low-cost method for sequencing phages directly from plaques, and Bacterial Assembly- associated Phage Sequences (BAPS), a computational approach capable of identifying lytic phages from bacterial genome assemblies. Novel approaches to phage discovery,


such as a collaboration with Dudley Zoo and West Midlands Safari Park, have revealed a remarkable diversity of phages in fecal samples collected from 82 animals, ranging from anteaters to snow leopards. Experimental in vivo data presented during the session showed that phages reduce Klebsiella burden and associated inflammation in a urinary tract infection model. Growing evidence also suggests that phage-antibiotic combinations frequently show additive or synergistic effects, although these interactions remain context-dependent and require further investigation before they can be applied reliably in clinical practice. Professor Clokie’s overarching message was one of genuine optimism. Clinical trials are under way, regulatory frameworks are developing, and the scientific tools to characterise, select and deploy phages are advancing rapidly. Realising that potential will require well-characterised phage collections, integrated multidisciplinary research, and a defined translational pathway linking discovery, mechanism and clinical application.


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