DOE OSTI · 3029663
High-throughput methods leveraging robotics and computer vision for the development of therapeutic phage cocktails
Abstract
We present the high-throughput automated screening techniques that are being used to develop bacteriophage-based therapeutic products currently under investigation in human clinical trials to combat urinary tract infections. By integrating modern liquid handling robotics, standardized phenotypic assays, and computer vision-based enumeration, we established a platform capable of reproducibly screening large collections of phages against clinically derived bacterial strain panels. This approach enabled systematic assessment of phage-bacteria interactions at scale, facilitating the identification and optimization of phage cocktails with broad in vitro activity. Although bacteriophage therapy has long been investigated as a strategy for treating bacterial infections, few frameworks exist for developing phage combinations in a reproducible and scalable manner. The methods outlined here address this gap and aim to support the broader development of therapeutic assets available to combat antibiotic resistance.
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Penke, Taylor J. R. [Locus Biosciences, Morrisville, NC (United States)] (ORCID:0009000207519238), Hammack, Aeron Tynes [Locus Biosciences, Morrisville, NC (United States); Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)] (ORCID:0000000289665978), McMillan, Lana J. [Locus Biosciences, Morrisville, NC (United States)], Baker, Ethan [Locus Biosciences, Morrisville, NC (United States)], Wilcock, Pearl [Locus Biosciences, Morrisville, NC (United States)], Healy, Nick [Locus Biosciences, Morrisville, NC (United States); Hamilton Company, Reno, NV (United States)], Wall, Morgan K. Y. [Locus Biosciences, Morrisville, NC (United States); Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)], Chavez, Naomi [Locus Biosciences, Morrisville, NC (United States)], Wright, Iain [Locus Biosciences, Morrisville, NC (United States)], Tuson, Hannah H. [Locus Biosciences, Morrisville, NC (United States)] (ORCID:000000027009882X), Woessner, Sara [Locus Biosciences, Morrisville, NC (United States)], Trama, Ashley [Locus Biosciences, Morrisville, NC (United States)], Prybol, Cameron J. [Locus Biosciences, Morrisville, NC (United States)] (ORCID:0000000176029115), Dordi, Eyra [Locus Biosciences, Morrisville, NC (United States)], Ghobadian, Ava [Locus Biosciences, Morrisville, NC (United States)], Ousterout, David G. [Locus Biosciences, Morrisville, NC (United States)], Conley, Nicholas R. [Locus Biosciences, Morrisville, NC (United States)], Garofolo, Paul [Locus Biosciences, Morrisville, NC (United States)]. 2026-01-30. High-throughput methods leveraging robotics and computer vision for the development of therapeutic phage cocktails. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-68684-x
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