Welcome at the Fagenbank, a place for information about bacteriophages, phage therapy and the information we have gathered at the Brounslab, TU Delft.
Our mission
Our mission is to support the development of phage therapy in the Netherlands, as a treatment alternative to antibiotic-resistant infections. For this, we have created the Fagenbank in 2019, a unique collection of bacteria and bacteriophages which are being used for research towards efficiency and safety for phage therapy. With the Fagenbank we are providing information about the possibilities of phage therapy with the ultimate goal of getting phage therapy realised in the Netherlands.
What we do
Our research group at the Brounslab, TU Delft is not only focussed testing bacteriophages versus bacteria but also trying to understand the interactions between phage and bacteria. The insight in the interaction between phages and bacteria might give us an understanding on how to circumvent the bacterial "immune system" which would allow us to train bacteriophages to overcome these immunities leading to being able to battle bacteria that were not affected by phages before.
Phage Therapy
Phage therapy uses bacteriophages —viruses that target and destroy specific bacteria— as an alternative to antibiotics. It is especially promising as an addition or alternative for treating infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Phages work by infecting the harmful bacteria, replicating inside them, and eventually killing them. This method is highly specific, targeting only the bacteria causing the infection without harming beneficial bacteria in the body.
Information
The Fagenbank acts as informational hub where people can find answers to the most commonly asked questions. Specific information about phages in our collection can also be found here.
Partners
The Fagenbank works together with its medical partners of the Utrecht University Medical Center where they are working on implementing phage therapy in their medical care.