In this episode we interview Dr. Paul Bollyky, MD, PhD, and PI of the Bollyky Lab at Stanford University School of Medicine.

You can hear his lab’s research on phage biology and translational applications: how phages interact with bacterial infections, particularly Pseudomonas aeruginosa and their role in immune responses.

He explained the role of filamentous phages in biofilms, how phages influence immune system activity, and the mechanisms involved in phage clearance from the body.

Episode chapters:

What is your lab research focus?

Why is the immune system important in phage research?

Why are there few in vivo bacteriophage pharmacokinetics studies?

Can phages regulate infections by influencing immune responses?

What typically happens to exogenously administered phages?

How do filamentous phages work and how are they isolated?

Are filamentous phages found as free particles or integrated in bacterial genomes?

Do filamentous phages play similar roles in biofilms of other pathogens?

What role do neutrophils play in clearing phages?

What advice would you give to labs starting in phage therapy research regarding immune system and clearance studies?

Do you think that something else needs to be studied other than neutrophils and phagocytes?

What is your view on phage therapy?

What about the regulations for engineered phages?

How did you get introduced to the phage world?

Do you have a favorite failure?

Any advice for PhD students starting in the field?