How agricultural infection models help clarify the translational path of phage therapy within a One Health framework.

Understanding how bacteriophages perform in real infection settings requires robust experimental models. In the context of livestock diseases, animal infection models provide a critical platform to explore phage efficacy, delivery strategies, and the evolutionary dynamics of bacterial resistance.

This presentation by Robert Atterbury, Associate Professor in Microbiology, University of  Nottingham, UK, examines how the design of infection models strongly influences the interpretation of phage therapy outcomes. Using two representative livestock systems enteric infections in pigs and systemic bacterial infections in poultry the talk highlights the methodological and biological challenges encountered when evaluating phage-based interventions in agricultural environments.

Beyond the experimental dimension, these models offer an important translational perspective. Many pathogens circulating in livestock have zoonotic potential, meaning that insights gained from agricultural settings may inform strategies for controlling infections in humans.

The discussion will therefore extend to the broader One Health perspective, emphasizing how phage therapy research in livestock can contribute to integrated approaches addressing antimicrobial resistance across animal, environmental, and human health sectors.

Key questions addressed

• How does the design of animal infection models influence conclusions about phage therapy efficacy?
• What are the practical constraints of delivering phages in large-scale agricultural settings?
• How do resistance dynamics evolve in complex multi-host ecosystems?
• Can livestock models accelerate the development of phage strategies relevant to human medicine?

By linking experimental model design, agricultural practice, and translational medicine, this talk illustrates how livestock research can play a strategic role in shaping the future of phage therapy within global antimicrobial resistance strategies.

Targeting Phage Therapy 2026
June 9-10, 2026
 – Valencia, Spain

www.phagetherapy-site.com