FIG 2.

SMALPs decrease viable phage counts. (a) Inhibition of lytic activity by Bacillus phage φ29 (10⁶ PFU/ml, starting MOI of 10⁻²) and Escherichia phages λ (10⁵ PFU/ml, starting MOI of 10⁻³) and T4 (10⁴ PFU/ml, starting MOI of 10⁻⁴) by SMALPs prepared from their hosts. Liquid cultures of host cells were either not infected (SMALP-only control, light gray), infected with SMALP-incubated phage (red), or infected with untreated phage (phage-only control, dark gray), followed by measurement of the OD₆₀₀ every 10 min. Points are measurements in each biological triplicate; solid lines indicate the mean. (b) Time-dependent decrease of viable phage counts by SMALPs. Samples were taken at 5-min time intervals of phages incubated with SMALPs from their host and used for plaque assays. The percentages of viable phages were estimated using a nontreated phage control. Points indicate replicates, while solid lines indicate means.