Along with Salmonella, Campylobacter is the most common form of food-borne illness, infecting millions of people worldwide every year.

Both GangaGen and the university are leaders in bacteriophage research and view the technology as a vital breakthrough in the control of bacterial contamination and associated health risks. Phages are naturally occurring agents that target and destroy bacteria with a high degree of efficiency, and do so selectively and specifically, without affecting beneficial bacteria or body cells.

The research agreement is focused on building a business relationship to commercialize phage technology developed at the University that complements the existing phage expertise of GangaGen.

GangaGen is a developer of therapeutics based on phage technology for the control of disease-causing bacteria. The company is developing a portfolio of products for the effective treatment of infectious disease in human and animal health. Its animal health program includes innovations for the control of food-safety hazards associated with the transfer of pathogenic bacteria from animal production to consumers. The work on a phage product for the control of Campylobacter will complement the GangaGen's food safety product portfolio, which also includes phage products against Salmonella and E. coli O157:H7. The technological advances made by the company have already eliminated any potential toxicity and gene-transfer risks.