The 6th International Conference on Bacteriophage Research and Antimicrobial Resistance (ICBRAR-2025) successfully wrapped up at Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi, highlighting an important milestone for India’s growing role in global phage research. Organized by the Department of Microbiology at the Institute of Medical Sciences (IMS-BHU) under the Society for Bacteriophage Research and Therapy, the two-day event attracted over 250 participants from both national and international backgrounds, including researchers, clinicians, academicians, and policy experts.
A Platform for Advancing Phage Therapy
As antimicrobial resistance (AMR) continues to rise globally, the conference highlighted phage therapy as a promising natural alternative to traditional antibiotics. Experts emphasized that phages — viruses that specifically target and kill bacteria — could become powerful tools for overcoming the AMR crisis.
The event provided a platform to discuss:
- Advances in phage biology and genomics
- Clinical and therapeutic applications of bacteriophages
- Regulatory challenges for phage-based therapeutics
- Strategies for combating antimicrobial resistance using precision microbiology
Key Voices from the Conference
Prof. Gopal Nath, Organising Chairman, highlighted the global rise in phage research and the urgent need to explore phages as viable therapeutic tools.
Prof. S. N. Sankhwar, Director of IMS-BHU, stressed the importance of collaborative and interdisciplinary research, especially as AMR becomes a multi-sectoral challenge.
Prof. Saroj Chooramani Gopal, Distinguished Professor at BHU, urged researchers to strengthen efforts toward developing phages as safe, natural, and effective alternatives to conventional antibiotics.
Prof. Ajit Kumar Chaturvedi, Vice-Chancellor of BHU, reinforced the university’s commitment to building scientific infrastructure, enhancing global collaborations, and supporting cutting-edge microbial research.
The Growing Importance of Phage Therapy in India
Currently, India faces a high burden of infectious diseases and rapidly growing antimicrobial resistance. With declining antibiotic effectiveness, the need for next-generation therapeutics is more pressing than ever. This conference emphasized the therapeutic potential of personalized phage therapy, phages as a sustainable, targeted, and eco-friendly solution, the possibility of integrating phage therapy into mainstream clinical practice, and the role of academia in leading translational microbiology research.
The conference also highlighted India’s potential in translational phage research, clinical phage therapy trials, regulatory development for phage-derived products, and Industrial-scale phage manufacturing. The event created new networking pathways for joint research projects, international training programs, and shared phage repositories. These partnerships will play a crucial role in shaping the future of phage therapy in India and beyond.
A Step Toward
One of the key takeaways of the conference was the importance of international networks. Phage research requires expertise in microbiology, genomics, clinical trials, regulatory science, and pharmaceutical development — making inter-institutional collaboration crucial. The successful conclusion of the 6th ICBRAR marks a significant step for India’s scientific community. As AMR continues to challenge public health systems, events like this not only showcase innovations but also inspire younger researchers to contribute to the future of phage-based therapies.
The discussions, research presentations, and collaborative networks formed during this conference are expected to drive new developments in phage therapy and help shape India’s response to the global AMR crisis.
