I believe the point being made was not pedantic, but to express the difference between a blind watchmaker (as you say, evolution) and a sighted watchmaker (theoretically, the effort of humanity, science, ...). Of course, that assumes that humanity as a whole, or in part, can actually recognize the need and organize an effort compared to how quickly the blind watchmaker works. Maybe I'm reading too much into it, but I think I see what OP is getting at there.
In fact, a bacteriophage may or may not be the most promising vector, but a bacteriophage engineered to attack pneumonia or specific infections would be the work of a sighted watchmaker, not dissimilar from ideas of targeted radiation or chemotherapy that are moving forward in the area of cancer treatment. I recall an experiment (not that this is my area of expertise at all) in the recent past that was attempting to use magnetized medicine along with some sort of electrode insertion, I believe, to coerce medicine to specific areas of the body.
In fact, a bacteriophage may or may not be the most promising vector, but a bacteriophage engineered to attack pneumonia or specific infections would be the work of a sighted watchmaker, not dissimilar from ideas of targeted radiation or chemotherapy that are moving forward in the area of cancer treatment. I recall an experiment (not that this is my area of expertise at all) in the recent past that was attempting to use magnetized medicine along with some sort of electrode insertion, I believe, to coerce medicine to specific areas of the body.