Bakteriofag Dapat Mengurangi Kerusakan yang Disebabkan oleh Fracking, Praktik yang Sangat Kontroversial

Bioteknologi untuk Membatasi Polusi Bahan Bakar Fosil

The rise of shale oil & gas production in the US has been a major change in the global energy landscape. It single-handedly reverted the decline in US production, as conventional oil & gas fields production started declining in the 1970s.

Sumber: EIA

Kenaikan produksi minyak & gas serpih di AS telah menjadi perubahan besar dalam lanskap energi global. Hal ini secara tunggal membalikkan penurunan produksi AS, karena produksi ladang minyak & gas konvensional mulai menurun pada tahun 1970-an.

Produksi minyak serpih juga disertai dengan konsumsi air yang sangat besar, dengan 1,3 miliar barel air digunakan untuk stimulasi sumur produksi, serta volume air yang dihasilkan (PW) tahunan sebesar 1,6 miliar barel.

Air yang dihasilkan (PW) ini merupakan limbah lingkungan utama industri serpih (tidak termasuk emisi karbon dan metana). Ia mengandung ion (garam) serta senyawa organik volatil (VOC), hidrokarbon, dan senyawa organik lainnya, menciptakan campuran kimia yang sangat kompleks. Campuran ini juga menjadi tempat berkembang biak yang sempurna bagi bakteri.

Saat ini, PW sering diproses dan disuntikkan kembali ke sumur minyak untuk membantu mempertahankan tekanan di deposit minyak serpih. Masalahnya adalah proliferasi bakteri dapat menimbulkan banyak masalah, mulai dari korosi pipa oleh Pseudomonas aeruginosa yang mengoksidasi besi hingga Bacillus megaterium yang menguraikan hidrokarbon, tujuan utama ekstraksi minyak serpih.

Untuk mengatasinya, PW disanitasi menggunakan banyak metode, termasuk agen pengoksidasi (ozon, permanganat, dan hidrogen peroksida) atau glutaraldehida, hipoklorit, asam perasetat, dan biocide lainnya; semua senyawa ini memerlukan energi tinggi untuk diproduksi dan dapat menjadi pencemar sendiri.

Lebih buruk lagi, bakteri dengan cepat berevolusi untuk beradaptasi dengan mereka, memerlukan konsentrasi yang semakin tinggi untuk mempertahankan efisiensi. Hal ini mirip dengan munculnya resistensi antibiotik di rumah sakit.

Jenis pembunuh bakteri baru, kelas virus yang disebut bakteriofag, dapat dimanfaatkan untuk menyelesaikan masalah ini.

(kami membahas bakteriofag dalam konteks resistensi antibiotik dan terapi dalam “Membuat Antibiotik Hidup: BiomX vs Armata (PHGE ) ”)

Bakteriofag Melawan Bakteri

Bacteriophages are viruses specialized in infecting bacteria and are harmless to other lifeforms. They multiply by injecting their genetic material into the bacteria, forcing it to make more bacteriophages.

They function through a system of ‘lock and key’, primarily depending on the interaction of the phage with receptors found on the bacterial cell surface. This means that most bacteriophages are ultra-specialized, often targeting only one species of bacteria.

As bacteriophages are themselves “alive”, they can co-evolve with the bacteria and adapt to most resistance that would appear when using chemicals or antibiotics.

Sumber: Britannica

Bacteriophages are also known to work even in hostile environments, like salty water, high temperature, or extreme pH. So they might be a perfect option for killing bacteria in shale-produced water.

Bakteriofag untuk Membersihkan Air Limbah

Researchers at the University of Texas and Universidad Nacional Pedro Henríquez Ureña in the Dominican Republic have investigated the potential of bacteriophages against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Bacillus megaterium. The two bacteria were chosen for their contribution to problems in shale water processing and for the commercial availability of bacteriophages targeting them.

The researchers demonstrated that in the presence of phages, P. aeruginosa failed to proliferate in the wastewater. For B. megaterium, a mix of 2 phage species called Slash and Palmer has proven to be more effective than a single phage treatment to eliminate the bacteria.

Kemajuan Masa Depan dengan Bakteriofag

In order for this solution to become more widely adopted, mass production of the phages and protocol to incorporate them in shale wastewater processing are needed.

Another limitation is that each bacteriophage is very specific to a bacterial species, so targeting other bacteria will require a larger phage bank and more commercially available phages than currently available.

In any case, this proves the potential for a biological option in processing shale-produced water, greatly reducing the need for polluting and energy-intensive chemical treatment.

Perusahaan Bakteriofag

Many companies are working on bacteriophage technology, but only a few are publicly traded. Most are focused on therapeutic applications, as these tend to be a much more profitable market, although also one facing much stricter regulations.

Sumber: Pharmaceutical Technology

1.  BiomX

BiomX is a bacteriophage company focused on treating antibiotic-resistant infections related to cystic fibrosis and Staphylococcus aureus infections in diabetic foot osteomyelitis (DFO).

There are 17,000 cystic fibrosis patients in the US and Western Europe with chronic PsA infections, creating a potential commercial opportunity of $1.6 billion worldwide.

DFO is the cause of the majority of 160K lower limb amputations in diabetic patients annually in the US, creating a potential commercial opportunity of $2 billion worldwide.

Sumber: Biomx

In Maret 2024, it merged with its competitor Adaptive Phage Therapeutics, giving it 2 products in phase II of clinical trials, with results expected in 2025.

Sumber: Biomx

Initial clinical results have been promising, including penetration of biofilms (the key problem in DFO treatment failures) and a good safety profile, as well as no development of resistance by the bacteria.

BiomX is also looking at treatment for skin infections (atopic dermatitis), with research still in the pre-clinical stage.

2. PHAXIAM Therapeutics (PHXM.PA)

France-based Phaxiam is the result of the merger in Juni 2023 of phage-focused companies Pherecydes Pharma and Erytech Pharma .

The company pipeline is focused on bacteria also targeted by BiomX, Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, as well as Escherichia coli.

Most of the phase 2 clinical trials are expected to be launched in 2025.

Sumber: Phaxiam

The company’s R&D pipeline seems promising, but the decline in stock price over the last few years indicates investors’ concerns regarding its financial stability. In April 2024, it announced having a cash runway going only into September 2024, and is “Reviewing options to further extend cash runway”.