🔬 Phage Takes

Bacteriophage Ecology Group News, or BEG News, was published mostly quarterly as an online newsletter for a total of 26 issues, starting July 1, 1999 and continuing through December 31, 2007. As follows is a reprint of an article from the newsletter, authored by Hans-Wolfgang Ackermann. Also included in issues were lists of new members to the Bacteriophage Ecology Group, an introduction to new website features, a list of upcoming meetings, phage images found on the web (remember, this was 2003, so effectively pre-Google), etc., but most of all, a listing of new phage ecology-related publications. The newsletter was modelled after T4 News, which was a printed newsletter distributed earlier in the 1990s. The newsletter's successors are the ongoing Phage.org website, phage-therapy.org, and the Bacteriophage Ecology Group Facebook page.

The "Félix d'Hérelle Reference Center for Bacterial Viruses" was founded in 1982 by Dr. Hans-W. Ackermann, M.D., as a repository for type viruses of bacteriophage species (1). It was initially funded by grants of the National Research Council for Science and Engineering (NSERC) of Canada. Since 1995, after a funding crisis in Canadian Science, the Center has to rely on fees to cover its costs.

The Félix d'Hérelle Center is an instrument of the ICTV (International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses). It collects and preserves type viruses of phage species and phages with interesting applications (typing, teaching, industrial) or properties (e.g., capsule-specificity or large DNA size). The collection contains about 430 bacteriophages and as many bacterial hosts belonging to over 50 genera. It is the largest phage collection in the world. Most phages are for acinetobacters, enterobacteria, bacilli, pseudomonads, rhizobia, and vibrios.

The Center seeks out interesting phages in the literature and requests deposits from the original investigators. Phages are examined in the electron microscope and depositors receive a complimentary micrograph. Phages are preserved (i) as lysates at +4°C and (ii) in 50% glycerol at −80°C and in liquid nitrogen. Host bacteria are preserved in 15% glycerol at −80°C and in liquid nitrogen. Phages are available without restrictions to any scientist. The Center has a collection of approximately 6000 books or articles, provides expertises, and accepts visitors for training.

Dr. Ackermann retired about two years ago. The new curator is Dr. Sylvain Moineau, Ph.D., of the Faculty of Science. He is a specialist of phages of lactic acid bacteria. Dr. Ackermann is staying on for advice and electron microscopy.

The Center, located for a long time at the Medical Faculty of Laval University, was recently moved to the Faculty of Science. Its new address is the Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Laval University, Quebec, Qc, Canada G1K 7P4, tel. (418) 656-2131, ext. 3112; fax (418) 656-2861 (collection.phages@bcm.ulaval.ca).

1. Ackermann, H.-W., Martin, M., Vieu, J.-F., Nicolle, P. Félix d'Hérelle: his life and work and the foundation of a bacteriophage reference center. ASM News, 48:346-348, 1982.