Center for Infection Prevention (ZIP) – Hub for foundation research

The Center for Infection Prevention (ZIP) serves as a central hub for pioneering research in phage biology. Its mission is to uncover the molecular mechanisms behind phage-driven bacterial inhibition. In parallel, ZIP is dedicated to transforming these scientific discoveries into practical therapies by advancing the core research and developing innovative, scalable, and clinically optimized delivery solutions.

Bavarian Competence Center for Phage Therapy (BayPha) – Bridging research and clinical practice

While ZIP lays the groundwork through basic scientific research, BayPha acts as the clinical counterpart, dedicated to turning phage research into real-world, tangible therapeutic solutions. Our mission is to identify, optimize, and provide highly specific phages for the treatment of multidrug-resistant infections in clinical environments.

Clinical Application 

Phage therapy is a highly targeted treatment approach for combating bacterial infections, especially those caused by antibiotic-resistant pathogens. In Germany, it is currently often used as an "individual treatment trial" when established antibiotic treatments have been exhausted or are no longer effective. The principle is precise and personalized: the disease-causing bacterial strain is isolated from each patient. Subsequently, a targeted search is conducted in a comprehensive phage bank for those phages that effectively combat exactly this strain. This susceptibility testing, also called a phagogram, ensures that a tailored and highly specific treatment is developed for the patient.

Following the identification of effective phages, they can be prepared as a patient-specific medicinal product, a so-called "magistral formula". BayPha aim to bridge the gap between basic research and clinical application by supporting the entire process – from phage identification and characterization to its provision for therapy. The application of the phage preparation can vary depending on the site of infection, for example, locally on wounds, orally, or as an aerosol. Our overarching goal is to use these personalized approaches as a basis to scientifically validate phage therapy through clinical trials and to make it accessible as an established, safe treatment option for a broader group of patients.