Unveiling the impact of a STEC specific phage on the colon microbiome, using an in vitro fermentation model.. Phage@Gut

Bacteriophages (or phages for short) are natural predators of bacteria, and their application at food industry has gain increasingly interested. In order to understand the safety of using Shiga Toxin producing Esherichia coli (STEC) specific phages to the healthy human gut microbiota an in vitro fermentation model that mimics the gut was proposed. Phage Ace, specific STEC phage, and E. coli CECT 5947 were added to the in vitro model as perturbation alone or in combination. Fermentation parameters were monitered, and the final microbiota composition was assessed through shot gun metagenomics. It was shown that the addition of only phage Ace did not result in a perturbation to fermentation, however, the addition of the E. coli strain leaded to differences in the fermentation and microbiota composition. This model was shown to be useful for a first safety screening of phages intended to be used in the biocontrol of food stuff.