Can bacteria subsist on bacteriophages?

In harsh environments like oceans and deserts, bacteria often struggle to find food, even though they are surrounded by bacteriophages (phages)—viruses that normally infect and kill them. Phages are 10 times more numerous than bacteria and make up a huge amount of proteins, fats, and genetic material. But because phages are picky eaters, most of them do not pose an immediate threat. We think that bacteria may use non-infectious phages as a food source when nutrients are scarce. To test this, we will starve bacteria like E. coli and feed them phages as their sole food source. Using sophisticated tools, we will track how bacteria break down phages into nutrients like sugars and amino acids, and identify the genes involved. If we are right, it shows that phages are not just predators—they are also a vital food source for bacteria in tough times. This discovery could change our understanding of predator-prey relationships and the survival of microbes in extreme environments.