About Bacteriophage

In January 2011, we will launch Bacteriophage, the first international, peer-reviewed journal dedicated to all aspects of bacteriophage research, ranging from basic phage biology and taxonomy to advanced bacteriophage-host cell interactions and various practical applications of bacteriophages. The journal will publish reviews of various bacteriophage-relevant topics, and it will provide a peer-reviewed venue for researchers to present the results of their phage research in the format of an original research paper or a brief report. The journal also will publish (i) reports of clinical trials involving bacteriophages, (ii) addenda; e.g., brief reports containing additional insights concerning data published elsewhere, and (iii) commentaries and views / Letters to the Editor. Finally, we also will welcome manuscripts describing new and improved methods for studying bacteriophages, including novel methods for determining phage concentrations, detecting and enumerating bacteriophages in various ecosystems, and improving our understanding of phage-bacterial host interactions.

We will publish the following types of papers:

- Reviews (mostly invited)
- Original Research Papers
- Clinical Research Papers
- Brief Reports (Notes)
- Methods and Protocols
- Article Addenda
- Commentaries and Views/Letters to the Editor

Topics and Fields we will cover in Bacteriophage

1. Basic phage biology
2. Bacteriophage classification/taxonomy
3. Phage genomics and evolution
4. Molecular mechanisms of phage infection, including but not limited to:
   1. Host recognition and adsorption
   2. Phage regulation and host bacterial cell interaction
   3. Phage replication, recombination and repair
   4. Phage structural biology and morphogenesis
   5. Phage lysins and lysis systems
   6. Phage and eukaryotic organisms (persistence, multiplication, immunogenicity, etc.)
5. Phage and bacterial virulence
6. Phage ecology including environmental prevalence and impact on microbiota
7. Practical applications, including but not limited to:
   1. Diagnostics, reporter systems
   2. Indicators of water quality
   3. Targeted delivery
   4. Lytic enzymes
   5. Impact on biofilms
   6. Agricultural (including food safety) applications
   7. Veterinary applications
   8. In vivo animal studies
   9. Human clinical trials
   10. Phages as probiotics
   11. Regulatory issues
8. Working with phages: new methods and improved methodological approaches (e.g., methods for obtaining and characterizing phages, including but not limited to methods for:
   1. Phage titration and determining burst size
   2. Phage nucleotide sequencing and genome analysis
   3. Characterizing phage gene expression
   4. Characterizing the impact of phage infections on physiology/metabolic pathways of their host cells
   5. Studying phage communities in complex environments
   6. Characterizing the interactions between phages and biofilms
   7. Electron microscopic analysis of phages
   8. Determining optimal phage propagation and purification
   9. Stabilizing viable phage preparations