Bacterial viruses (also referred to as bacteriophages or phages) are ubiquitous in nature, and although they require a host cell to multiply, they often outnumber their hosts by an order of magnitude 1, 2. The life cycle and biology of phages has been extensively studied, and mainly became mapped along the lines of two distinct reproductive routes: lytic development (performed by both lytic and temperate phages) and lysogenic development (only performed by temperate phages) [3]. In case of lytic development, the incoming phage chromosome enforces its replication and the production of new phage particles that are typically released by lysing the host and that enable further horizontal transmission throughout the host population. During this lytic development, phage proteins typically hijack host machinery and resources for massive replication of phage chromosomes and production of capsid proteins 4, 5. In case of temperate phages, the incoming phage chromosome can alternatively decide to lysogenically convert its host, thereby establishing itself as a seemingly more dormant prophage. The latter is typically integrated into the host chromosome, where it becomes stably replicated and segregated to ensure further vertical transmission [6]. However, when the host cell suffers stress such as DNA damage, the prophage can manage to exit this quiescent state and enter the lytic cycle 7, 8.

Despite the above-perceived paradigms of phage transmission dynamics, the function and necessity of many phage-encoded proteins still remain obscure 9, 10, suggesting higher-than-anticipated complexities in the way phages deal with their host population. In this context, we would like to focus on the possible ‘farming’ capacity of phages, being their presumed ability to intentionally cultivate and harvest host cells. Indeed, since phages can only indirectly access the nutritional resources from their environment via the metabolism and biomass of their host cells (Figure 1), it seems intuitive that phages have evolved mechanisms and strategies to avoid host cell scarcity and/or secure a steady supply of host cells for lytic consumption. In fact, recent literature is increasingly yielding examples that tend to incline toward this perspective and that showcase the resourcefulness of phages managing to stably coexist with their host.