Bacteriophages, also known as phages, are viruses that infect bacteria and sequester the host cell’s machinery to replicate, often leading to the destruction of the host. These bacterial predators emerge as a promising tool in the fight against plant pathogenic bacteria due to their high specificity and low environmental impact, making them a sustainable alternative…
Deep within the xylem vessels of woody plants exists an unseen world of microbial life composed of diverse bacterial and fungal communities that coexist and interact with harmful vascular pathogens such as Xylella fastidiosa. When the meadow spittlebug (Philaenus spumarius), the main European vector of Xylella, feeds on xylem sap, it also ingests part of…
Xylella fastidiosa is a bacterial pathogen that lives inside the xylem vessels of plants, which are the internal channels responsible for conducting water and nutrients. In crops like olive, grapevine, and almond, its presence can lead to serious diseases with devastating economic and environmental consequences. Because X. fastidiosa resides deep within the plant’s vascular system,…
Beneficial bacteria are powerful allies in crop protection, boosting plant growth and naturally suppressing pathogens like Xylella fastidiosa. But what if we combine strains with complementary beneficial traits? That’s where synthetic bacterial communities (SynComs) come in — defined mixes of strains with complementary traits tested together. By assembling SynComs from complementary strains (e.g., growth promoters…
What secrets are hidden in the microbes that live inside the xylem of the plants and the insects that transmit Xylella fastidiosa? At the “Phytopathology of Sustainable Agricultural Systems” research group at the Institute for Sustainable Agriculture (IAS-CSIC, Córdoba, Spain), we explore this microscopic universe by decoding the genomes of the most abundant bacteria found…
Functional peptides are emerging as promising candidates in the fight against Xylella fastidiosa. These small molecules often display strong antibacterial and antibiofilm activity, low toxicity, and are biodegradable, meaning they break down naturally without persisting in the environment. Even better: it’s difficult for pathogens to develop resistance against them, since peptides often act through multiple…
https://youtube.com/shorts/g1W6ID7cQG0 How do we evaluate the effect of beneficial bacteria on Xylella fastidiosa, a pathogen that resides deep within plant xylem? Simple: we crush the stem. In the latest BIOSTOP-XF experiments, researchers from the “Phytopathology of Sustainable Agricultural Systems” group at the Institute for Sustainable Agriculture (IAS-CSIC, Córdoba, Spain) are using DNA-based assays to track the infection…
As the project comes to an end, we would like to highlight two significant research works that partially funded by TED2021-130110B, and represent key milestones in the careers of these promising young researchers. Lucia Alonso Villar. Master Thesis: Selección funcional de bacterias habitantes del xilema para su uso como agentes de control biológico de Xylella…
Did you know that some bacteria could become our greatest allies in protecting crops, promoting plant health and growth, and combating devastating pathogens? In recent years, interest in plant health has grown significantly, particularly in the field of biological control of plant pathogens and pests Research is now delving into the plant microbiome’s influence on…
We propose a novel strategy for controlling the vector‐borne bacteria Xylella fastidiosa by selecting symbiotic microorganisms from its insect vectors that also possess biocontrol properties. Specifically, we hypothesize that the gut microbiome of Philaenus spumarius contains bacterial species capable of disrupting X. fastidiosa life cycle through mechanisms such as resource competition, production of antimicrobial metabolites,…
