The 5th World Congress on Targeting Infectious Diseases: Targeting Phage & Antibiotic Resistance 2018, dedicated to phage therapy and antibiotic resistance, was held in Florence, Italy, on May 17–18, 2018. Over the course of two days, more than 200 participants from 33 countries heard 100 presentations and discussed the achievements and challenges of phage therapy, as well as other innovations related to overcoming antibiotic resistance in infectious disease pathogens.

In particular, the Congress participants discussed the following issues: the isolation of bacteriophages, phage diversity, bacteriophage lysins as therapeutic agents, the interaction of bacteriophages with the human body, its microbiome, antibiotics, as well as phage genetics.

The discussion focused on issues related to the production of phage products according to GMP standards for medical needs, as well as the use of phages in veterinary medicine and the food industry. New generations of antibiotics and other options for overcoming antibiotic resistance, one of the most pressing challenges facing modern medicine, were also explored.

The congress program can be found here