Biological Control

The research focus is on the ecological properties of biocontrol pseudomonads as well as the mechanisms that govern interactions among phytopathogens, the plant and the non-target microbiota.

Our main achievements in the past five years include:

• Characterization of pathogen toxins (i.e. fusaric acid and the mycotoxin DON) that inhibit the expression of key biocontrol genes, allowing the pathogen to protect itself against the biocontrol microorganisms
• Demonstration that the diversity of key biocontrol genes (i.e. phlD and hcnBC) is as high in a field undergoing crop rotation as in a world-wide collection
• Demonstration that
  • degradation of quorum sensing molecules by bacteria is a preventative and curative biocontrol mechanism
  • a functional type III secretion system is important for the biocontrol efficacy of Pseudomonas putida
  • the degradation of the precursor of plant stress ethylene by pseudomonads contributes to their biocontrol efficacy
• Characterisation of some of the genes and abiotic factors which influence the persistence and cell culturability of biocontrol strain Pseudomonas fluorescens CHA0

Research Projects