Scalable genetic screen maps bacterial genes required for phage infection across Klebsiella strains

Researchers led by Marissa R. Gittrich and colleagues, including groups at the Wellcome Sanger Institute and the University of California San Diego, have published a study in PLOS Genetics using scalable random barcoded transposon-insertion sequencing (RB-TnSeq) to map bacterial genetic determinants that govern bacteriophage-host specificity in Klebsiella — a genus of bacteria that includes clinically and ecologically important species.

Bacteriophages are viruses that infect bacteria and are being catalogued at an accelerating pace, but the bacterial genes that determine whether a given phage can successfully infect its host remain poorly characterised, particularly at scale. The study reveals both cross-family conserved requirements — genes needed by multiple phage types — and phage-specific requirements, where individual phage lineages depend on distinct bacterial gene products for infection success.

The work is relevant to researchers in microbial genetics, phage biology, and evolutionary genomics. It also connects to translational research interest in phage therapy, where understanding bacterial resistance determinants at the genetic level is important for selecting effective phage candidates. The study is published in a peer-reviewed journal.