Beyond the Symptoms | An Expert Interview Series by LUF | Live UTI Free
Beyond the Symptoms is an interview series by Live UTI Free (LUF) that explores the science, solutions, and stories behind pelvic health, UTIs, and chronic urinary infections.
Host Melissa Kramer engages in deep conversations with leading medical experts, researchers, and healthcare innovators who share breakthrough insights beyond conventional diagnoses and treatments.
Each episode uncovers cutting-edge research on biofilms, embedded infections, antibiotic resistance, and innovative diagnostic approaches while examining how these conditions impact quality of life. Whether you're a patient navigating recurrent UTIs, interstitial cystitis, or chronic pelvic pain, a healthcare practitioner seeking evidence-based approaches, or a curious mind interested in women's health advocacy, this podcast provides actionable information about complex pelvic health conditions.
Episodes feature world-renowned urologists, urogynecologists, researchers, and patient advocates sharing clinical insights and practical strategies.
Explore our comprehensive resources at liveutifree.com, find additional studies at linktr.ee/liveutifree, watch video interviews on YouTube (@LiveUTIFree), and join our supportive community on Instagram (@liveutifree).
Beyond the Symptoms | An Expert Interview Series by LUF | Live UTI Free
Phage Therapy for UTIs: The Phage Collection Project | Esme Brinsden with Live UTI Free (LUF)
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Could a virus found in your toilet water be the future of UTI treatment? In this episode of the LUF Podcast, host Melissa Kramer, PhD, talks with Esme Brinsden, Project Coordinator at the Phage Collection Project, a citizen science initiative based at the University of Southampton in the UK. Esme breaks down bacteriophage therapy: what phages are, how they target and kill bacteria without harming human cells, and why this century-old treatment is gaining new momentum as an alternative to antibiotics for recurrent and chronic UTIs. The conversation covers how phages break down bladder biofilms, how phage and antibiotic combination therapy works, current access to phage therapy in the UK versus countries like Georgia, and how listeners can get involved in phage research by submitting a water sample. Learn more about the Phage Collection Project at phage-collection.org, and visit liveutifree.com for more UTI research and education.
3 Key Takeaways
- Phages can break down the biofilms that protect chronic UTI bacteria. Esme explains that phages produce an enzyme that degrades biofilm, which makes the bacteria inside it more vulnerable to both phage therapy and antibiotics, a key reason phage therapy is generating interest for chronic and recurrent UTIs.
- Combining phage therapy with antibiotics may work better than either alone. Esme describes it as a “double hit”: bacteria rarely develop resistance to phages and antibiotics at the same time, so pairing the two treatments can clear infections that one approach alone might miss.
- Anyone can contribute to phage research, starting with a water sample. Through the Phage Collection Project’s citizen science model, members of the public can request a sampling kit, collect water (yes, even toilet water), and help build a biobank of phages that could one day be used to treat UTIs and other bacterial infections.
Resources Mentioned
- The Phage Collection Project — request a sampling kit or take the willingness questionnaire
- Live UTI Free — educational resources and community research on recurrent and chronic UTIs
