Nakdonggang National Institute of Biological Resources finds bacteriophage targeting resistant bacteria

South Korea's Nakdonggang National Institute of Biological Resources has discovered A3676P, a new bacteriophage in freshwater environments that simultaneously kills strains from eight species of multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter, the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment said.

Researchers collected Acinetobacter from rivers, lakes and industrial wastewater nationwide, then examined 35 strains and found 28 multidrug resistant; some species can cause hospital infections including pneumonia and sepsis, while the World Health Organization identifies multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii as the top-priority pathogen for new drug development.

After searching domestic freshwater samples held at the institute's freshwater biological-resource bank for six months from January, the team identified A3676P; it retained high antimicrobial activity across varying pH and temperature conditions and multiplied rapidly after infecting host bacteria, killing them effectively, the ministry said.

A3676P showed broader control than existing bacteriophages that generally act on just one or two bacterial species.

The institute plans to register a patent for A3676P and its use this year, the ministry said. Kim Eui-jin, head of the institute's Biological Resources Research Division, said, "This study is significant in that the newly discovered bacteriophage can simultaneously control multiple species of multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter. We hope it will be used as an environmentally friendly microbial control technology that can reduce antibiotic use in diverse fields, including hospital infection management, water treatment, environmental remediation and livestock farming."