Podovirus

Podovirus

By Jessica Sacher and Joseph CampbellScienceLife Sciences
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Podovirus episodes

  • Getting phage research funded — Joe Campbell reflects on a career at NIAID

    Welcome to the Podovirus podcast, episode 2!

    In this episode, Jessica talks with Dr. Joe Campbell, who recently retired as a program officer at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
    Joe played a key role in shaping phage research funding and policy during his tenure at NIAID. He reflects on his career, the evolution of phage therapy research, and shares insights into the grant application process.
    Takeaways
    - Phage therapy funding at NIAID has evolved over time; it used to be lumped in with antibiotics, but Joe and his colleague Jane Knisely at NIAID eventually spearheaded the creation of phage-specific grants, which had phage people on their study sections!
    - Phage therapy centers, such as Phage Canada and Phage Australia, play a key role nowadays in providing personalized phage treatments for patients who don't fit the criteria for traditional clinical trials.
    - Rigorous clinical trials are essential for demonstrating the efficacy of phage therapies and gaining support from governments and healthcare systems.
    - Phage therapy has the potential to treat a wide range of infections, and Joe is optimistic that clinical trials will show positive results
    Chapters
    00:00 Introduction
    01:24 Reflections on a Career in the Phage Field
    06:18 The Evolution of Phage Therapy Funding at NIAID
    10:53 Taking Action to Support Phage Grants
    14:09 The Impact of Phage Grants on Research and Funding
    20:41 The Role of Phage Therapy Centers
    22:47 Balancing Phage Therapy Centers and Biotech Companies
    28:25 Challenges in Developing Phage Therapies in the US Healthcare System
    30:41 The Importance of Rigorous Clinical Trials for Phage Therapies
    33:38 NIAD's Preclinical Services for Phage Therapy Development
    34:57 Pseudomonas Mouse Models and In Vitro Assays
    37:09 The Role of NIAD Program Officers
    38:46 Addressing the Economic Challenges of Phage Therapy

    47 min
  • Why all phage researchers need to be in Australia this July

    This is a very special week. We’re launching the first episode of our Podovirus podcast!

    We started this on a whim (I wanted to explore this format, since I love talking to phage people and I love podcasts; and Jan came up with a punny name we couldn't pass up).

    Ok, episode 1! I'll be honest — I stayed in science because of how much I love conferences. My phage phriendships are some of my favourites in life, and annual conferences have always pushed my science forward more than anything else.

    It was so much fun to chat with Dr. Jeremy Barr, Associate Professor at Monash University, about the Viruses of Microbes (VoM) conference he's co-organizing in Cairns, Australia this July.

    We talk about what organizing has been like (take note, whoever applies to host the next VoM in 2026!), what Australia is like (fewer crocodiles than you might think, equally as many koalas), why VoM 2024 will be extra-special for early career researchers, and how to convince your PI to help you get there!

    37 min

About Podovirus

From the publisher's feed

Phages (bacteriophages) are viruses that kill bacteria with sniper-like precision. They can be incredibly useful for treating life-threatening infections ('phage therapy'), and can help us reduce our dependence on antibiotics. They've been known for 100 years... so WHY do we still not see them on the shelves?