ASCLEPIUS Early-Career Researcher Presents Poster at Viruses of Microbes 2026

ASCLEPIUS early-career researcher Marita Chichashvili presented her poster at Viruses of Microbes 2026, titled “Commercial DNA Extraction Kits Applied to Bacteriophages Differ in Yield, Reproducibility, and DNA Integrity.”

Her research compares four commercial DNA extraction kits with respect to DNA yield, reproducibility, and DNA integrity using three bacteriophages infecting different bacterial hosts. The study aims to assess the performance of commonly used extraction kits and identify reliable approaches for obtaining high-quality bacteriophage DNA.

The findings contribute to improving methodological standardisation and reproducibility in phage genomics research, supporting the broader objectives of the ASCLEPIUS project in advancing bacteriophage science.

Participation in Viruses of Microbes 2026 provided an excellent opportunity to share these results with the international scientific community and engage in discussions on best practices in phage research.