The probiotic E. coli strain Nissle 1917 (EcN) is the active component of the pharmaceutical preparation Mutaflor® and has been successfully used in the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders. Gut bacteriophages are dominant players in maintaining the microbial homeostasis in the gut, however, their interaction with incoming probiotic
Nissle took a stool sample from the healthy soldier and isolated a strain of Escherichia coli from it (1). This new strain — which scientists later named E. coli Nissle 1917 (EcN) in Nissle's honor — inhibited multiple bacterial pathogens and went on to become one of the best studied bacterial probiotics ever (2). aSnu.