Researchers developed microneedle patches that deliver bacteriophages into food to kill pathogens like E. coli and Salmonella, offering a potential on‑product safety measure for ready‑to‑eat items. The technology injects phages into contaminated matrices, demonstrating targeted bacterial clearance in testing. Separately, rising human and livestock spillovers of highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1) have renewed interest in bacteriophage therapeutics and phage platforms as adjuncts to combat secondary bacterial infections and as vaccine platforms. The CDC and industry groups are studying phage applications amid a widening HPAI outbreak that has impacted poultry and mammalian species. Both efforts reflect growing investment in virus‑based biotechnologies outside classical therapeutics, from food safety interventions to infectious‑disease preparedness.