The high specificity of phages for their target is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, phages bind to specific bacteria, allowing for targeted treatment without harming the microbiome. On the other hand, unlike an antibiotic that can be used against a broad spectrum of infections, a single phage can only be used against specific bacteria. Therefore, phage banks, i.e., large phage collections, are a key element in the evolving field of phage therapy.

The Israeli Phage Bank (IPB) is one of the largest and most unique phage banks in the world. The IPB was established with the aim of promoting phage therapy in Israel and worldwide. Today, the IPB houses up to 500 phages, most of which are unique and have been isolated in Israel, among other well-known phages.
Characterization of phages is a necessary step to enable the selection of appropriate phages for treatment and to avoid the use of problematic phages. At IPB, we characterize our phages through genome sequencing, electron microscopic visualization, plaque morphology, host range determination, and more. Among our phages there are unique phages such as magaphages with genome sizes up to 200 Kbp, phages with Z-nucleotide and unique phages against challenging targets.

Today we have in IPB phages against 30 species targeting human, plant and animal pathogens, as well as common species that are problematic in industry. We are constantly working to expand it to more hosts in order to find a phage-based solution to a variety of bacterial problems.

Phage therapy:
Phages from IPB have been used to treat several dozen patients in Israel, the United States, Germany and Australia. As part of IPTC’s current work, we are collaborating with leading medical institutions and constantly receiving new bacterial isolates from patients to identify a suitable phage for treatment.