Hanareia Ehau-Taumaunu, Graduate Student, Penn State
Understanding the antagonistic mechanisms of microorganisms involved in plant protection against phytopathogens has been vital in researching microbe-microbe interactions and biological controls. Microbial-based disease management approaches can potentially substitute or combine current strategies to provide more robust disease control and improve plant health. My dissertation research has explored how antagonistic traits influence plant-associated microbial populations and communities in natural conditions. In this seminar, I will share my work on bacteriocin-mediated antagonism between phytopathogens, using passaging to develop disease suppressive communities in the phyllosphere, and uncovering the microbiome of passaged communities enriched for suppressiveness. The understanding of what contributes to microbial antagonism can help support future disease management strategies.