Purification Strategies and Impact of Surfactant on Bacteriophage Stability and Aggregation

Bacteriophages are promising bactericidal agents extensively studied, particularly for their potential in infection control. However, their stability can be affected by purification methods and prolonged storage. A key factor contributing to viability loss is viral particle aggregation, which may be mitigated by surfactants such as Tween 20. This study investigated the relationship between viral aggregation and infectivity loss by purifying MS2 and PhiX174 bacteriophages using chloroform clarification and PEG concentration, with and without Tween 20, as well as Triton X-100 purification, over a 55-day period. The results showed that infectivity and aggregation profiles differed depending on the purification method. However, no direct correlation was observed between aggregation and infectivity. Moreover, MS2 and PhiX174 exhibited distinct responses to the same treatments, indicating that no single purification method is universally effective for all bacteriophages. The study concludes that viral aggregation is not directly associated with infectivity loss and emphasizes the need for virus-specific protocols to ensure stability during long-term storage.