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Animal-free peptones support bacteriophage propagation for therapeutic use without altering bactericidal activity or genomic integrity

Bacteriophage (phage) propagation has traditionally relied on bacterial culture media containing animal-derived ingredients; however, safety concerns with animal-derived materials for production of phages for therapeutic use limit their acceptability. We compared animal-free and traditional media formulations, and evaluated effects on phage yield, bactericidal activity, and genomic characteristics, hypothesizing no significant differences would be observed.

Citation:
Laucirica DR, Carr PG, Hedges MG, Vaitekenas A, Velickovic Z, Stick SM, Montgomery ST, Kicic A. Animal-free peptones support bacteriophage propagation for therapeutic use without altering bactericidal activity or genomic integrity. Journal of Applied Microbiology. 2026.

Keywords:
antimicrobial resistance, bacteriophages, biopharmaceuticals, medical microbiology, bioprocessing

Abstract:
Bacteriophage (phage) propagation has traditionally relied on bacterial culture media containing animal-derived ingredients; however, safety concerns with animal-derived materials for production of phages for therapeutic use limit their acceptability. We compared animal-free and traditional media formulations, and evaluated effects on phage yield, bactericidal activity, and genomic characteristics, hypothesizing no significant differences would be observed.