Bacteriófagos: características gerais, utilidades e aplicações biotecnológicas

Abstract

Bacteriophages or phages are viruses that infect bacteria, consist mainly of genetic material and proteins. Phages are ubiquitous and most abundant on earth. With the advent of genetic engineering can be considered as bacteriophages revealed important tool in establishing the ecological balance. The main objective of this work was to Identify and describe mechanisms of action and importance of bacteriophages as tools for human therapy, treatment of wastewater and bioremediation. And to achieve the goal, it was exploratory research which was based on literature investigation and selection of information related to this proposed research project. The literature review was made in order to select valid items for the proposed issue and able to induce the response of the goals. From the literature review done in this study it was found that currently, in the knowledge of microbiology, specifically on the bacteriophage biology recognizes and uses these micro-organisms as biological tools in several areas focusing on control food biofilm environment and antibiotics for human therapy. The literature has shown that as bacteriophages are effective for controlling pathogenic microorganisms in foods, the reduction of biofilm and microbiological control in water. Therefore, in general, the phages are promising tools, but it should be more studies for a better understanding of the same with regard to handling and survival (replication) into the target cell, because the mechanisms of bacterial resistance still is the crux failure of therapy for human health with phage.