There, Eliava was enthusiastic about the potential of phages in the curing of bacterial disease, and invited d'Herelle to visit his laboratory in Georgia.

[citation needed] In spite of this development, the institute did not change its practical specialization, and continued its activity in the field of bacteriophage research.

[4] After the Republic of Georgia declined to join the Russian Federation and the Georgian Civil War broke out in 1991, the Tbilisi facility was essentially ruined.

Thousands of bacteriophage samples identified over the years and catalogued in huge, refrigerated "libraries" suffered irreversible damage due to frequent electrical outages.

Apparently, the Russians transferred some of the equipment to their territory and built plants for the production of bacteriophages in other locations.

[citation needed] However, in 1997, a report on the institute was broadcast by the BBC, sparking a flurry of media interest in the West.

The headlines drew doctors and scientists to Tbilisi - and also, most importantly, energetic entrepreneurs from around the world who were determined to help save the institute and its stocks and fully explore the potential of this "new" and highly effective therapy.

Georgian scientists whose names were connected in some way to the institute saw great opportunity, and some of them emigrated to the West to be part of joint projects.