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Researchers at the University of Otago are developing phage therapy to combat bacterial diseases in cherry orchards, specifically targeting Pseudomonas bacteria that threaten crop yields. Funded by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, the project aims to create phage cocktails that effectively penetrate bacterial defenses while preserving beneficial bacteria. The team has also identified 'jumbo phages' and phages that evade CRISPR systems, emphasizing that phage therapy is intended as a complementary treatment to antibiotics.