Controlled phage therapy by photothermal ablation of specific bacterial species using gold nanorods targeted by chimeric phages

Significance New methods for detecting and killing antibiotic-resistant, Gram-negative bacteria are of prime interest for a wide variety of applications. While phages have long been considered as potential antibacterial agents, many concerns about phage therapy stem from the fact that phages are replicating, evolvable entities whose biology is poorly understood in most cases. These concerns could be addressed by destroying the phage immediately upon use. We accomplish this by conjugating phages to gold nanorods, whose excitation by near-infrared light causes localized heating that essentially cooks nearby bacteria. Thus, the phages deliver gold nanorods to the targeted bacteria, and the nanorods destroy both bacteria and phages simultaneously. This strategy transforms phages from an evolving biological entity into a controlled, drug-like reagent.