Dri-Lyse Bacteriophage Technology (IUK 106291): Addressing the Challenges and Opportunities relating to COVID-19

Bacterial pathogens of fresh produce are responsible for substantial losses through disease, damage and failure to meet market specifications, with no specific controls. Diseased crop and waste-food disposal, plus additional agricultural land and water required to achieve sufficient marketable yields all add up to increase the carbon footprint of food production ("foodprint") and more efficient agricultural systems, with less wastage are a priority to meet UK and EU targets of increased food productivity and reduced waste.

**Bacteriophage** are viruses; they are the most abundant organisms on earth. As naturally-occurring bacterial enemies, they are attracting considerable attention as targeted agricultural antibacterial-control products. They are completely safe for the consumer, highly host-specific and have zero environmental or non-target impacts.

APS Biocontrol has made good progress in demonstrating their potential in reducing bacterial plant disease but product commercial viability is limited; liquid products have limited thermal-stability, requiring low-temperature storage and transport, which impacts on their cost, shelf-life and storage. The project's **key objective** is to address these limitations, developing thermally-stable, dry bacteriophage products (_Dri-Lyse);_ achieved through working with Stabilitech BioPharma, an established UK developer of vaccines and therapeutics, with platform technologies to significantly enhance product stability, including for viruses and based around unique, safe, small molecules ("excipients") which are naturally present in foods.

In pilot studies, their technology has given promising thermal stabilisation of sample bacteriophage, forming the background to this project.

The project will focus on the UK and wider European potato market; through previous Innovate UK support APS has developed an effective bacteriophage mix ("BPSRE") against bacterial-induced "Blackleg" of potatoes, responsible for £50M UK total losses p.a. and £750M worldwide. APS has also developed a liquid bacteriophage product (Biolyse) to target the downstream losses caused by this disease; most frequently realised in the pack house as rotting potatoes.

The focus of the **technical Innovation** will be creating an optimised excipient mix to maintain the activity of the BPSRE mix.

Our vision is to switch from liquid bacteriophage mixes to a tableted/powered form, rehydratable at the point of use. Benefits will be a longer shelf life, making the products more manufacturable. Also, removing the need for chilled storage and transport, they become more attractive to the customer and significantly better placed to address export markets for business growth and globalisation.

Once proven in the potato market, the longer vision is to address other high-value fresh-produce markets, both in the UK and globally.