Bacteriophages (phages) are viruses that specifically infect and kill bacteria. Due to bacterial genus, species and strain specificity, phages offer the potential for targeted ‘knock-out' of a species of interest in a multispecies community thereby facilitating elucidation of the specific contribution of individual species to the community and providing a tool for control of undesirable bacterial populations (i.e. biocontrol). The phage - bacterial host specificity and the ability to kill their target opens up the potential for the application of phages to a range of different contexts. These include the prospecting and analysis of phage-derived proteins with bactericidal/bacteriostatic effects on selected bacterial pathogens of relevance to human and animal health, the application of phages to control food spoilage organisms, and the impact of phages on antimicrobial resistance and bacterial communities in wastewater treatment.