From 12–16 May 2025, NDPIA hosted the second edition of the Fundamentals of Basic and Applied Phage Biology course at Lund University. The event brought together early-career researchers from across Sweden and abroad to explore the fascinating world of bacteriophages and their growing importance in science and medicine. 

Group photo of the participants and organizers of Fundamentals of basic and applied phage biology in 2025. Photo by Vasili Hauryliuk.

“I felt the lecturers were all extremely high quality, engaged, and given by top professionals in their field.”
-Anonymous participant 

Led by Vasili Hauryliuk and Marcus Johansson at Lund University, the course featured lectures and discussions with both national and international experts in phage biology. Topics ranged from the ecological roles of phages in natural environments to their application in combating bacterial infections.  

Lecture on “Exploiting phage for SynBio applications in non-model bacteria”, given by Rob Lavigne, University of Leuven, Belgium. Photo by Vasili Hauryliuk.

Lecture on “Bacteriophages – from the fundamentals of molecular biology to the BASEL collection”, given by Alexander Harms, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zürich, Switzerland, Photo by Vasili Hauryliuk.

The theoretical sessions were complemented by hands-on training, equipping participants with practical skills to integrate phage techniques into their own research. The lab component included phage isolation from environmental samples, phage titre determination, infectivity and immunity assays, and the selection of spontaneous mutant phages. 

One of the locations in Lund where environmental samples were collected for isolation of phages. Photo by Vasili Hauryliuk.

In addition to the scientific program, participants presented their own research through elevator pitches, encouraging peer-to-peer learning and constructive feedback.

“The strength of this course was the wide range of topics covered—from experimental training and basic knowledge to bioinformatics, diverse research fields, and even industry perspectives.”
-Anonymous participant 

A big thank you to Vasili and Marcus for their incredible work in organizing the course and making it such a success! Their passion for phage biology and commitment to teaching were key to the course’s outstanding quality. Photo by Olena Shyrokova.

To view the full course program, please visit: Fundamentals of Basic and Applied Phage Biology 2025 | NDPIA 

Special thanks to the organizing committee:
Vasili Hauryliuk, Lund University, Sweden
Marcus Johansson, Lund University, Sweden
Annasara Lenman, NDPIA National Director, Umeå University, Sweden
Louise Lindbäck, NDPIA Project Coordinator, Umeå University, Sweden