Non-replicative transduction particles with one or more non-native tail fibers and transduction particle-based reporter systems

A method of generating an engineered bacteriophage or a non-replicative transduction particle (NRTP) that displays a bacteria host cell specificity that differs from the bacteria host cell specificity displayed by a native bacteriophage comprising:

• a) fusing a first nucleotide sequence from one tail fiber structural protein encoding gene with a second nucleotide sequence from a second tail fiber structural protein encoding gene from a different source to generate a chimeric tail fiber structural protein encoding gene;
• b) expressing the chimeric tail fiber structural protein gene in a bacteria cell that contains a bacteriophage tail fiber replacement platform comprising:
• a bacteriophage lysogen from the family Myoviridae (Myoviridae lysogen) that contains a genetic disruption that prevents the expression of one or more genes that are critical for the production of tail fibers native to the Myoviridae lysogen, comprising the nucleic acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:
• 97;
• and
• a complementary nucleic acid molecule comprising one or more genes selected from a gene that encodes a tail fiber structural protein responsible for binding a bacteria cell receptor, a gene that encodes a chaperone protein needed for folding of one or more regions of a tail fiber structural protein, a gene that encodes a protein required for attaching the tail fiber structural protein to a tail, or any combination of these genes, wherein the complementary nucleic acid complements the genetic disruption of the Myoviridae lysogen whereby functional tail fibers are produced;
• wherein the complementary nucleic acid molecule comprises a gene that encodes a tail fiber structural protein with one or more regions that are not derived from the one or more genes that are critical for the production of tail fibers native to the Myoviridae lysogen;
• and
• c) providing conditions to the bacteria cell that induces a lytic phase of the Myoviridae lysogen to generate the engineered bacteriophage or NRTP.