Bacteriophages for One Health: Biofilm Control, Antimicrobial Resistance, and Phage Applications in Environmental and Industrial Settings.

The concept of One Health highlights the connection of human, animal, and environmental health, highlighting the need for integrated solutions to global challenges such as antimicrobial resistance (AMR). As a growing concern worldwide, AMR compromises the efficacy of conventional antibiotics and biocides, particularly against multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens that persist in both clinical and non-clinical environments. Compounding this problem is the widespread presence of biofilms that are not just limited to medical devices or clinical infections but also dominate environmental and industrial settings such as water distribution networks, cooling water systems, food processing pipelines, and aquaculture facilities, where they cause significant operational, economic, and ecological impacts.



Bacteriophages, viruses that infect and lyse specific bacterial host, are emerging as promising alternatives to conventional antimicrobials. Their natural specificity allows targeted removal of problematic bacteria while sparing non-target microbiota, aligning with One Health principles of ecological sustainability. Beyond their antibacterial property, phages and phage-derived enzymes demonstrate remarkable potential in disrupting biofilms by penetrating extracellular polymeric substances, degrading structural components, and sensitizing embedded bacteria to other treatments. This dual action, i.e., direct bacterial killing and biofilm disruption make phages as powerful tools in both clinical and non-clinical domains.



In industrial and environmental systems, phages are being explored for diverse applications: preventing biofouling in cooling water circuits and desalination plants; controlling bacterial contamination in food production and processing chains; improving water quality in aquaculture; and mitigating soil and waterborne pathogens in agriculture. Their ability to target chlorine-tolerant and biocide-resistant bacteria further enhances their value in industries where chemical treatments are either insufficient or environmentally unsustainable. Importantly, phages can be combined with antibiotics or novel biocides to enhance the efficacy and reduce the risk of resistance development.



From a One Health perspective, deploying phages in environmental and industrial contexts has dual benefits: mitigating operational challenges while simultaneously reducing the environmental reservoirs of AMR. By controlling biofilm-associated bacterial isolates in non-clinical sites, phages indirectly help limiting the transmission of resistant strains to humans and animals. This integrated approach complements global AMR mitigation strategies and aligns with the push for sustainable, low-impact antimicrobial interventions.



Despite these advantages, several challenges remain, including narrow host range, variable stability under industrial conditions, regulatory uncertainties, and the potential for bacterial resistance to phages. Addressing these requires advancing phage isolation, characterization, and formulation techniques, along with developing standardized protocols for large-scale application. Expanding phage banks, integrating genomic tools, and fostering international collaborations will be critical to overcoming these barriers.



This Special Issue, “Bacteriophages for One Health: Biofilm Control, Antimicrobial Resistance, and Phage Applications in Environmental and Industrial Settings,” invites original research and reviews that explore the multifaceted role of phages in addressing AMR and biofilm-related challenges beyond clinical medicine. By bridging microbiology, biotechnology, and environmental engineering, this collection aims to foster cross-disciplinary insights into the sustainable use of bacteriophages within the One Health framework.

The goal of this Research Topic is to advance bacteriophages and their derivatives as practical and sustainable solutions for biofilm control and AMR mitigation within the One Health framework, where human, animal, and environmental health are intrinsically linked. The problem to be addressed is the lack of scalable, eco-friendly, and effective alternatives for managing bacterial contamination and resistance in non-clinical domains that feed back into human and animal health.



To achieve this, the Research Topic seeks to:

1. Highlight innovative phage-based strategies for biofilm disruption and MDR pathogen control in environmental and industrial settings (e.g., water systems, food processing, aquaculture, agriculture).

2. Present phage-derived enzymes and engineered phages as emerging tools that complement or exceed natural phages in overcoming extracellular polymeric barriers and resistant bacterial populations.

3. Evaluate combined or integrative approaches, where phages are applied with antibiotics, nanoparticles, or other antimicrobials to enhance efficacy and reduce resistance development.

4. Address practical challenges of phage application, including stability under industrial conditions, formulation strategies, regulatory hurdles, and large-scale implementation models.

5. Encourage cross-disciplinary research that connects microbiology, biotechnology, materials science, and environmental engineering to develop complete phage-based solutions aligned with One Health principles.



Through this collection, we aim to consolidate current advances, identify knowledge gaps, and stimulate translational research that enables bacteriophages to move from experimental proof-of-concept into real-world industrial and environmental applications.

This Research Topic invites original research, and review articles that explore the role of bacteriophages and phage-derived products in addressing biofilms, antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and multidrug-resistant (MDR) infections within environmental and industrial settings. Contributions should focus on the translational potential of phages as sustainable antimicrobial tools beyond conventional clinical use.



Specific themes of interest include, but are not limited to:



• Phage isolation, diversity, and characterization from environmental and industrial ecosystems (marine, freshwater, soil, food, agriculture, aquaculture, and industrial pipelines).

• Mechanisms of phage-mediated biofilm disruption, including interactions with extracellular polymeric substances and biofilm resilience under stress conditions.

• Phage-based approaches for non-clinical applications, such as water treatment, aquaculture, agriculture, food safety, and biofouling control in industrial systems.

• Phage–antibiotic/biocide synergy and combinatorial approaches to improve treatment efficacy and mitigate emergence of resistance.

• Stress tolerance and stability of phages under environmental and industrial conditions (temperature, pH, salinity, biocides, and other operational variables).

• Phage engineering and synthetic biology for enhanced host range, biofilm penetration, and robustness in applied settings.

• Integration of phage applications into One Health AMR mitigation strategies, connecting human, animal, and environmental health outcomes.



This collection aims to bring together cross-disciplinary research that advances bacteriophages as practical tools for sustainable biofilm and AMR management across industrial and environmental sectors.