Bacteriophage

A bacteriophage /ˈbækˈtɪər.i.oʊˌfeɪdʒ/ (informally, phage /ˈfeɪdʒ/) is a virus that infects and replicates within a bacterium. The term is derived from "bacteria" and the Greek: φαγεῖν (phagein), "to devour". Bacteriophages are composed of proteins that encapsulate a DNA or RNA genome, and may have relatively simple or elaborate structures. Their genomes may encode as few as four genes, and as many as hundreds of genes. Phages replicate within the bacterium following the injection of their genome into its cytoplasm. Bacteriophages are among the most common and diverse entities in the biosphere.

Phages are widely distributed in locations populated by bacterial hosts, such as soil or the intestines of animals. One of the densest natural sources for phages and other viruses is sea water, where up to 9×10⁸virions per milliliter have been found in microbial mats at the surface, and up to 70% of marine bacteria may be infected by phages. They have been used for over 90 years as an alternative to antibiotics in the former Soviet Union and Central Europe, as well as in France. They are seen as a possible therapy against multi-drug-resistant strains of many bacteria (see phage therapy). Nevertheless, phages of Inoviridae have been shown to complicate biofilms involved in pneumonia and cystic fibrosis, shelter the bacteria from drugs meant to eradicate disease and promote persistent infection.

Phage (Star Trek: Voyager)

"Phage" is the fifth episode of the first season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: Voyager. The episode originally aired on February 6, 1995 on the UPN network. The episode was directed by Winrich Kolbe.

Plot

In the course of helping to investigate a network of caverns in a planetoid for dilithium deposits, Neelix is attacked by a previously undetected alien and left in a state of shock. He is beamed directly to the ship's sickbay where it is discovered his lungs have been teleported out of his body. The Doctor keeps him alive by projecting a pair of holographic lungs into his torso using the sickbay's holographic emitters. As a result, Neelix must remain absolutely motionless, able only to talk, for the rest of his life.

Another away mission is quickly organized to find the perpetrator and retrieve Neelix's lungs. They return to the planetoid and discover an alien facility behind sophisticated cloaking technology, and conclude that the facility is being used to store organic material, particularly respiratory organs. The aliens escape the planetoid on a ship, and Voyager goes in pursuit. Eventually Voyager catches up with them and Captain Janeway orders the abduction of the two alien life forms aboard the ship. An interrogation reveals that the aliens belong to a race known as the Vidiians, who have been suffering for generations from a disease called the Phage. No one knows where the pathogen came from or the cure, only that it eats away at the flesh of a person's body if they are infected.

Shadow Galactica

Shadow Galactica (シャドウ・ギャラクティカ, Shadō Gyarakutika) is a group of fictional characters who serve as antagonists in the Sailor Moon manga series created by Naoko Takeuchi. They are the final antagonists of the series' fifth story arc, called Stars in the original manga and Sailor Moon Sailor Stars in its anime adaptation. Shadow Galactica is first introduced in chapter #43 "Stars 1", originally published in Japan on September 6, 1996.

Shadow Galactica as an organization devotes itself to stealing "starseeds", the essence of sentient life, from all in the universe. Its members are lead by Sailor Galaxia and have the ultimate goal of reorganizing the universe in the image that Chaos desires. The musicals state that they have already conquered 80% of the Milky Way galaxy, and all 88 constellations - with only Sailor Moon's solar system remaining. Sailor Galaxia's castle, Galatica Palace (ギャラクティカ・パレス, Gyarakutika Paresu), serves as Shadow Galactica's base of operations in the manga. Galactica Palace is located at the Galactic Center, in Sagittarius Zero Star, and it is built around the Galaxy Cauldron, the birthplace of all life in the Milky Way. In the anime, Shadow Galactica's base is Galaxy TV (銀河ＴＶ, Ginga Terebi, lit. "Silver River TV").