Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the most critical challenges to global public health in the 21st century, posing a significant threat to healthcare systems and human health due to treatment failure and high mortality. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that, without effective interventions, AMR-associated infections could cause 10 million deaths annually and economic losses of up to 100 trillion US dollars by 2050. The rapid spread of drug-resistant strains, especially in hospital and community settings, has significantly reduced the efficacy of traditional antibiotics. With the continuous advancements in relevant research, bacteriophage (Phage) therapy is constantly innovating in the antimicrobial field. The application of frontier technologies, such as phage cocktails and engineered phages, has significantly enhanced the broad spectrum and high efficiency of phage therapy, which is gradually becoming a new generation of tools to replace antibiotics and effectively combat pathogenic bacteria. However, phage therapy is facing several challenges, including phage inactivation by gastric acid, enzymes, ultraviolet light, and mechanical stress, as well as the potential risk of bacterial phage resistance. Advanced encapsulation technologies such as electrospun fibers, liposomes, chitosan nanoparticles, and electrospray provide solutions to these problems by protecting phage activity and enabling controlled release and targeted delivery. This review addresses phage therapeutic studies of Salmonella, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Listeria monocytogenes, summarizes the recent advances in phage research, and details the current development and applications of encapsulated phage technologies across various delivery modes.

Degradation of natural ecosystems demands the utilization of croplands with enhanced soil carbon sequestration. To do this, microbial biotechnologies like biofilm biofertilizers can be used because it enhances soil carbon sequestration while increasing crop yields with reduced chemical fertilizers use. However, the stabilizing sequestered soil carbon with the biofilm biofertilizer practice is yet to be revealed. Thus, present study evaluates the effect of biofilm biofertilizer on soil physicochemical and biological properties including soil respiration and organomineral complexation in paddy cultivation. The biofilm biofertilizer practice was compared with the farmers’ current practice of chemical fertilizer alone application in four districts in Sri Lanka. Attenuated total reflectance Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy was used to evaluate the chemical forms of stabilizing sequestered soil carbon. Results showed that soils with stronger organomineral complexation and reduced soil respiration down to ca. 40% were formed in the biofilm biofertilizer practice over the farmers’ chemical fertilizer practice, possibly due to enhanced mineral surface-reactive metabolites, and low priming effect, respectively thus resulting to mitigate global warming. Conclusively, the biofilm biofertilizer practice is an effective method to replace farmers’ chemical fertilizer practice. Reduced chemical fertilizer use down to ca. 50% with the biofilm biofertilizer application addresses the current global issue of escalating chemical fertilizer prices. Rapid implementation of such biotechnologies is important to save the globe from predicted climatic catastrophes.

The National Institute of Fundamental Studies (NIFS) developed Biofilm Biofertilizer (BFBF) in-vitro and it was tested for efficacy in paddy cultivation, progressing from controlled greenhouse experiments to large-scale field trials, conducted in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture (DoA) and other stakeholders. The outcomes of this research program have proven a substantial reduction of Chemical Fertilizer (CF) usage up to ca. 50% when combined with the BFBF applied at the rate of only 2.5 L/ha. With this fertilizer combination, the BFBF demonstrated the real and significant (p<0.05) crop yield improvement effects, boosting the yields on average ca. 25% compared to DoA's CF practices in the long-term extensive research. The widespread adoption of the BFBF across ca. 0.11 Mha of paddy cultivation in Sri Lanka revealed the practicality of its use. In conclusion, the BFBF integrated an eco-friendly fertilizer technology into commercial-scale paddy cultivation. As such, the BFBF stands out as a sustainable and transformative solution, providing a blueprint for future agricultural innovations with global implications. This research program serves as a testament to the vital role played by fundamental research in driving a meaningful change for the benefit of agriculture.

Nutritional imbalances and compromised gut health constitute substantial challenges impacting human health and development, especially in South Asian nations (Biswas et al. 2021; Mostafa et al. 202...