Bacteriophages are ubiquitous organisms that can be specific to one or multiple strains
of hosts, in addition to being the most abundant entities on the planet. It is estimated that they
exceed ten times the total number of bacteria. They are classified as temperate, which means that
phages can integrate their genome into the host genome, originating a prophage that replicates
with the host cell and may confer immunity against infection by the same type of phage; and lytics,
those with greater biotechnological interest and are viruses that lyse the host cell at the end of its
reproductive cycle. When lysogenic, they are capable of disseminating bacterial antibiotic resistance
genes through horizontal gene transfer. When professionally lytic—that is, obligately lytic and not
recently descended from a temperate ancestor—they become allies in bacterial control in ecological
imbalance scenarios; these viruses have a biofilm-reducing capacity. Phage therapy has also been
advocated by the scientific community, given the uniqueness of issues related to the control of
microorganisms and biofilm production when compared to other commonly used techniques. The
advantages of using bacteriophages appear as a viable and promising alternative. This review will
provide updates on the landscape of phage applications for the biocontrol of pathogens in industrial
settings and healthcare.
