We are pleased to announce that Dr. Piotr Golec from the University of Warsaw, Poland, will join 9th World Conference on Targeting Phage Therapy 2026 as a speaker and give a presentation entitled “Phage–Pseudomonas Interactions: Changes in Host Physiology and the Potential Impact on Phage Therapy“.

Bacteriophage infection can drive rapid adaptive changes in bacterial pathogens, potentially influencing the outcome of phage therapy. This presentation focuses on how phage infection changes the physiology and virulence-related traits of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Phage-resistant mutants obtained after infection were analysed at phenotypic and genomic levels. The mutants displayed altered pigment production and efficiency of biofilm formation, reduced motility, modified haemolytic activity, decreased phage adsorption, and cross-resistance. Comparative genome analysis revealed either a large chromosomal deletion or multiple point mutations underlying these changes.

Our findings demonstrate that phage pressure may select for bacterial variants with substantially altered physiology and virulence-related characteristics. These results highlight the evolutionary consequences of phage–host interactions and emphasize the importance of accounting for bacterial adaptation and virulence modulation in the development of phage-based therapeutic approaches.