Abstract: A method of producing novel bacteriophages with expanded host-range and bacteriophages with expanded host ranges are disclosed. The method produces mutant phage strains which are infectious to a second host and can be more infectious to their natural host than in their natural state. The method includes repeatedly passaging a selected phage strain into bacterial cultures that contain varied ratios of its natural host bacterial strain with a bacterial strain that the phage of interest is unable to infect; the target-host. After each passage the resulting phage are purified and screened for activity against the target-host via double-overlay assays. When mutant phages that are shown to infect the target-host are discovered, they are further propagated in culture that contains only the target-host to produce a stock of the resulting mutant phage.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to the delivery of polynucleotides and/or oligonucleotides using silica delivery platforms, e.g., silica carriers or protocells. In particular, in the present disclosure, polynucleotides in the form of plasmids expressing siRNA may be administered as cargo in the silica delivery platform to a patient or subject to inhibit and/or treat cancer in a patient. In one aspect, the silica delivery platform that have been charged with cargo comprising plasmid DNA (in particular, CRISPR ds plasmid DNA) which expresses siRNA, shRNA, mRNA and other RNA which may be used to administer these plasmids to patients in order to effect inhibition of cancer cells (especially including apoptosis of those cancer cells) and effective and/or prophylaxis of cancer, as well as numerous pathogens, including viruses, bacteria, fungi, and/or other disease states and/or conditions. In another aspect, the silica delivery platform comprises a biological package (e.g.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to the delivery of polynucleotides and/or oligonucleotides using silica delivery platforms, e.g., silica carriers or protocells. In particular, in the present disclosure, polynucleotides in the form of plasmids expressing siRNA may be administered as cargo in the silica delivery platform to a patient or subject to inhibit and/or treat cancer in a patient. In one aspect, the silica delivery platform that have been charged with cargo comprising plasmid DNA (in particular, CRISPR ds plasmid DNA) which expresses siRNA, shRNA, mRNA and other RNA which may be used to administer these plasmids to patients in order to effect inhibition of cancer cells (especially including apoptosis of those cancer cells) and effective and/or prophylaxis of cancer, as well as numerous pathogens, including viruses, bacteria, fungi, and/or other disease states and/or conditions. In another aspect, the silica delivery platform comprises a biological package (e.g.