United States of America, As Represented by the Secretary of Agriculture

Board of Trustees of the University of Arkansas

Ann M Donoghue

Daniel J Donoghue

Billy M Hargis

Lisa Bielke

Guillermo Tellez

Lisa A Newberry

Gerardo Nava

Stacy E Higgins

Methods are provided for selecting a bacterium capable of reducing pathogenic bacterial colonization of the intestinal tract in a subject comprising selecting the bacterium capable of migrating at least 0.75 cm from the point of inoculation on motility agar after incubation for 24 hours at 37&#xb0; C. or capable of migrating from the point of inoculation to a diameter of at least 1.5 cm based on the farthest colonies from the point of inoculation on motility agar after incubation for 24 hours at 37&#xb0; C. Bacteria selected using the method and compositions comprising these bacteria are also provided.

Methods of selecting and using therapeutic and prophylactic probiotic cultures to reduce bacterial pathogen loads

Disclosed are methods of selecting wide host range bacteriophage capable of growing in a plurality of bacteria including pathogenic and non-pathogenic bacteria and bacteriophage selected by the methods. Also disclosed are methods of treating a subject infected with a pathogenic bacterium using bacteriophage and methods of decontaminating objects using bacteriophage. Also disclosed are methods of producing vaccines. In another aspect, methods of determining bacterial viability and methods of improving the sensitivity of a biosensor using wide host range bacteriophages are disclosed.

Method for bacteriophage delivery and amplification

Growing community of inventors

Springdale, AR, United States of America

Ann M Donoghue