A current challenge is detecting phage persistence with standard plaque assays, which only reveal lytic cycles.

Gerovac has led the Nachwuchsgruppe 'Komplexe in Phageninfizierten Zellen' since 2024 under MICROSTAR, leveraging a research background from JMU Würzburg and HIRI.

Prof. Josef Penninger, scientific director of HZI, describes the grant as validation of the program’s aim to unravel microbial adaptability and develop new medical applications.

The team plans to explore hypervirulent phages that directly lyse bacteria rather than coexist with them, as a potential therapeutic approach.

The project, titled Permanent Phage Infections (PEPHI), investigates persistent infections of bacteriophages that infect bacteria, potentially informing therapies against antibiotic-resistant infections.

A research team is developing methods to detect and characterize phage persistence, using electron microscopy and single-cell sequencing to identify factors essential for the persistent replication cycle, with a focus on nucleocytoplasmic or core-encapsulated phages.

Dr. Milan Gerovac of Helmholtz-Zentrum für Infektionsforschung (HZI) has been awarded an ERC Starting Grant worth 1.5 million euros for five years.

The ERC Starting Grant is described as the highest European accolade for early-career researchers, underscoring the significance of Gerovac’s work within the MICROSTAR program at HZI.