Development of Actinomycetes-Derived Antimicrobial Compounds as Eco-Friendly Solutions for the Management of Plant and Food-Borne Pathogens

2022 USDA-CBGP Title: Development of actinomycetes-derived antimicrobial compounds as eco-friendly solutions for the management of plant and food-borne pathogens Abstract Microbes are an integral part of the soil ecosystem. It is becoming more apparent that soil microbes play crucial roles in agriculture and food security, safety, and sustainability, and the maintenance of human health. Microbes are implicated in every aspect of our society; from food products to agriculture; diagnostic tools to treatments; and epidemics to therapeutics. Notably, only a tiny fraction of a microbial community has been explored for metabolic discovery. Actinomycetes represent one of the most prolific sources of secondary metabolites with a wide range of biological activities such as antibacterial and antifungal activity. Plant and food-borne pathogens are known to cause significant harm to both human health and the economy. The goal of the proposed project is to identify and screen actinomycetes-derived metabolites that can prevent the growth of the major plant and food-borne pathogens. The specific objectives are to: (1) isolate actinomycete species from the soil and create a library of strains (2) screen the isolates to identify bioactive metabolites against a panel of common food-borne and plant pathogens, and (3) characterize the active metabolites at the molecular level and determine the efficacy of the pure compounds against the panel of test pathogens. The outcome of this project will i) offer microbial natural products-based solutions to control plant and food-borne pathogens, and addresses major problems facing agriculture and food production/protection in the US ii) provide excellent educational opportunities for the minority students, and iii) enhance research, outreach and education capacities of UMES.