Engineering the Future of Antibacterial Therapy: CAPT-CEP and the US Approach to Advancing Bacteriophage Therapy

Assessment of Needs

The Centers for Accelerating Phage Therapy to Combat ESKAPE Pathogens (CAPT-CEP), established by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), represent the first coordinated US research network dedicated to developing the tools needed to advance bacteriophage (phage) therapy for antibiotic-resistant infections. CAPT-CEP aims to address crucial gaps in pharmacology, susceptibility testing, formulation, delivery, and predictive modeling, with the goal of moving phage therapy toward standardized, reproducible, and clinically actionable approaches.

The CAPT-CEP initiative comprises 3 centers that together include 9 different institutions in the US working to advance the development and clinical evaluation of phage therapy. In this webinar, a representative from each center will discuss complementary aspects of the field, including: (1) an overview of phage biology and the current state of the field, including translational considerations and pharmacokinetics; (2) phage susceptibility testing, standardized metrics, and tools for evaluating phage activity; and (3) emerging artificial intelligence-based approaches to phage discovery and development. The presentations will be accompanied by a question-and-answer session.

Learning Objectives

At the conclusion of this webinar, participants will be able to:

• Describe the basic biology of phages and the current state of phage therapy research and development
• List key translational and pharmacokinetic considerations in the development and clinical application of phage therapy
• List approaches to phage susceptibility testing and the importance of standardized metrics and tools for characterizing phage activity
• Describe emerging applications of artificial intelligence (AI) in phage discovery, characterization, and therapeutic development 
• Describe the challenges to applying AI to phage therapy and what is necessary to get to the next step 
• Describe the complementary approaches being used by US CAPT-CEP centers to advance phage therapy

Registration

Who Should Attend

This webinar is intended for researchers and clinicians with an intermediate or advanced understanding of bacteriophage science and its therapeutic applications. Those new to or less experienced in the field may wish to watch the on-demand webinar, An Introduction to Bacteriophages: Basic Science and Clinical Applications, presented by Graham F. Hatfull, PhD, and Robert T. Schooley, MD.

Individual registration is required in order to receive CME credit or a certificate of participation.

Registration closes on Monday, November 30, 2026, 8:30 AM (PT).

For more information or questions, please contact the registration department at registration@iasusa.org or 415-544-9400.

Conflicts of Interest

In the interest of maintaining the independence of its continuing medical education (CME) activities, the International Antiviral Society–USA (IAS–USA) requires all persons with control of educational content (eg, faculty, Scientific Leadership Board, Governance Board, and program planner) to disclose any financial relationships with ineligible companies (previously defined as “commercial interests”) that they have had within the past 24 months. Any real or apparent conflicts of interest of those parties are resolved and mitigated prior to the CME activity being delivered. Individuals who refuse to disclose financial interests may not participate in IAS–USA CME activities. 

The Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) defines ineligible companies as “those whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients.”

IAS–USA will identify and resolve ahead of time any possible conflicts of interest that may influence CME activities with regard to exposition or conclusion. Information about financial relationships with ineligible companies for the presenter and planners/reviewers is below and in the slides prior to the presentation of educational content.

Presenter

Dr Bollyky reported no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies. (Updated June 4, 2026)

Professor Shipman reported serving on scientific advisory boards for Powerhouse Biology and Flagship Pioneering. (Updated August 23, 2026)

Dr Van Tyne reported no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies. (Updated August 20, 2026)

Moderator

Dr Benson reported grants/grants pending to her institution from BioMerieux. (Updated May 15, 2026)

Planner/Reviewer

Planner/Reviewer 1 reported no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies. (Updated September 8, 2026)
Planner/Reviewer 2 reported no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies. (Updated August 18, 2026)

COW Board

The financial relationships of the COW Board can be found here: https://www.iasusa.org/activities/cases-on-the-web/about-cows/cow-webinars-editorial-board/