Curious Conversations is a series of free-flowing conversations with Virginia Tech researchers that take place at the intersection of world-class research and everyday life. Produced and hosted by Virginia Tech Assistant Director of Marketing and Communications Travis Williams, university researchers share their expertise and motivations, as well as the practical applications of their work in a format that more closely resembles chats at a cookout than classroom lectures.

&lt;p&gt;Bryan Hsu joined &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.research.vt.edu/news/podcast.html&quot; rel=&quot;ugc noopener noreferrer&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations”&lt;/a&gt; to talk about bacteriophages, commonly called phages. He explained their role in the gut microbiome, their potential in phage therapy, and the potential as a tool against antibiotic resistance. Hsu also broke down how phages interact with bacteria, their dual nature as both beneficial and harmful, and the innovative ways researchers are engineering phages for therapeutic use. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;About Hsu&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Bryan Hsu is an assistant professor in the Department of Biological Sciences and an affiliate of the &lt;a href=&quot;https://fralinlifesci.vt.edu/&quot; rel=&quot;ugc noopener noreferrer&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Fralin Life Sciences Institute&lt;/a&gt;. His research broadly focuses on using an interdisciplinary approach towards understanding and remodeling the gut microbiota with a special focus on discovering new phages and genetically engineering them for anti-bacterial and anti-virulence applications.&lt;/p&gt;<br />


Curious Conversations

The Data