2Bacteriophage “Phage” are ubiquitous, natural predators that kill bacteria as part of their life cycle. In general, there are many different phages that recognize and attack particular bacterial hosts, but are harmless to all other bacteria and all other types of cells. In a typical phage infection cycle, a single phage injects itself into a bacterial cell, starting a program that ends with the bursting of the host cell and the release of about 100 new phage particles in 20 - 60 minutes. This exponential effect has proven very effective in combating bacterial diseases. The use of phage is FDA approved4 for use in healthcare and food processing industries and promises to positively impact the Petroleum Industry.
Phage Remediation of sulphate reducing bacteria (SRB): Phage which target the sulfate-reducing bacterium Desulfovibrio vulgaris, have been isolated and found to be effective in destroying these ever-present corrosion-inducing bacteria. In the picture on the right, test tube A is a D. vulgaris culture. Test tube B had an identical culture cleared with cocktail that has at least two types of phage. In the photo below, the black speckling of bacterial growth is noticeably prohibited by the activity of two drops of phage cocktail. Similarly, the other 22 or more bacteria identified from oil field waters5 and found to be directly associated with biocorrosion6, can be cultured and natural phage isolated. After a series of laboratory scale experiments, these phage become components of a phage “cocktail.” This cocktail can be introduced upstream into a pipeline, targeted directly against the bacterial colonies affecting that particular pipeline, and as a result, reduce or eliminate the biocorrosion. |
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