International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences
ISSN: 2319-7706 Volume 2 Number 7 (2013) pp. 151-163
Bacterial viruses in marine environment and their ecological role and bioprospecting potential: a review
Anandhan Sekar*and Kathiresan Kandasamy
Centre of Advanced Study in Marine Biology, Faculty of Marine Sciences, Annamalai University, Parangipettai 608 502, India *Corresponding author e-mail: ana.sagi@gmail.com
A B S T R A C T
Bacterial viruses have great potential for their applications especially in phage therapy, nanotherapy, phage display, food decontamination, surface disinfection and bio-detection. However, marine forms are least understood. It is also important to improve the methods of production of marine bacteriophages in large-scale level, and their purification and recovery processes. Advanced studies on the engineering of marine phage production and downstream purification processes are almost non- existent. Marine bacterial viruses are among the greatest genetic resources on the biosphere and they deserve a special attention for their bioprospecting potential and ecological role in marine environment.
Keywords
Bacteriophage; Bio- prospecting; marine phage; marine biotope.