Rising HPAI (H5N1) spillovers into livestock and sporadic human cases have refocused research on complementary countermeasures, including bacteriophage therapeutics to treat secondary bacterial infections and novel vaccine platforms. CDC and USDA data cited worsening poultry losses and sporadic human infections, prompting renewed investment in precision anti‑infectives. Concurrently, a materials team developed microneedle patches that deliver bacteriophages into contaminated ready‑to‑eat food to kill pathogens such as E. coli and Salmonella, demonstrating an application of phage biology for food safety. The patch concept targets reducing foodborne illness by deploying phage specificity in a delivery format compatible with supply chains. The twin threads — clinical phage therapeutics for post‑influenza bacterial complications and phage‑based food decontamination — expand the role of phage science across public health and food safety, but both approaches will require regulatory pathways, manufacturing scale‑up, and rigorous efficacy testing.