Project Description
Fire blight is ranked as the most concerned pome fruit disease by the U.S. apple growers. Due to the lack of cultural control, management of fire blight relies heavily on the use of antibiotic streptomycin to limit pathogen growth on flowers. However, the long-term use of streptomycin facilitated the evolution of the pathogen to develop resistance to it. The loss of streptomycin not only resulted in catastrophic losses due to control failures, but also imposes threat to the environment and to human health. In our preliminary results, we have obtained the first large collection of bacteria from different natural fields in Wisconsin and other states of the U.S. The isolates were screened for antagonistic activity to E. amylovora; three bacteria show strong inhibition on E. amylovora.
Tasks and Responsibilites
The student will study the active metabolites that are produced from these bacteria.
Desired Qualifications
None Listed