Figure 1.

Orthogonal engineering of M13 phage for selective PDT

Phages with targeted tropism against Acinetobacter baumannii (light blue) and against the gram-negative Acinetobacter baumannii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa cells (dark blue) were generated. M13_Aba is retargeted to the biofilm activating protein (BAP) of Acinetobacter baumannii through the specific display on the minor coat protein pIII of the C20 nanobody (C20Nb), whereas M13_Gram− targets the lipopolysaccharides of the Gram-negative outer membrane through the display on the pIII protein of KNYSSSISSIRAC-binding peptide (LPSbp). The amino group of M13_Aba and M13_Gram− major capsid protein pVIII were chemically conjugated with hundreds of RB for the production of ROS, which are highly antimicrobial, upon light irradiation, in the cell proximity.