PHAGRI – Phages for Agriculture
Summary
Food Biotechnology
Financement public, Fribourg Agri & Food, Innovation Cheque
Dr. Grégory Resch (CHUV)
Dr. Christophe Debonneville (Agroscope)
Christof Rüfenacht (Swisssem)
Carmen Jungo Rhême
Skills directory
July 2025 - December 2025
The goal of this project is to develop a sustainable biocontrol strategy using locally isolated bacteriophages to combat potato pathogens, thereby reducing chemical pesticide use and fostering agro-tech innovation.
Agricultural producers are suffering losses due to bacterial infections, while the limitations of chemical pesticides are driving the search for sustainable alternatives. This project explores the use of bacteriophages, natural viruses that target bacteria, as an ecological biocontrol solution. In the canton of Fribourg, it aims to isolate and evaluate phages active against local pathogens, with a specific focus on bacteria associated with blackleg and soft rot in potatoes, which belong to the genera Pectobacterium and Dickeya (formerly Erwinia). The goal is to reduce chemical inputs and support agro-tech innovation. Expected results include the implementation of a phage isolation method, phage collection and isolation from contaminated sites, and a first laboratory evaluation of isolated phages.