| Congresso Brasileiro de Microbiologia 2023 | Resumo: 1072-2 | ||||
Resumo:This research work on using bacteriophages to control coffee canker (caused by Pseudomonas syringae pv. garcae) sounds promising and has the potential to provide a sustainable and environmentally friendly solution for coffee producers facing this disease. Bacteriophages are viruses that infect and kill specific bacteria, making them a targeted and effective alternative to antibiotics.Based on the results of your in vitro and ex vivo phage therapy experiments, it appears that using a cocktail of phage particles at different multiplicities of infection (MOI) can lead to significant reductions in bacterial load. In the in vitro assay, using a higher MOI (10) resulted in a greater reduction in bacterial count compared to a lower MOI (1). However, the higher MOI might also increase the likelihood of phage-resistant mutants emerging.In the ex vivo experiments, using a higher MOI (100) led to a rapid reduction in bacterial load within 6 hours, but the bacteria developed resistance after this period. On the other hand, using lower MOIs (10 and 1) still achieved significant reductions in bacterial load (approximately 4.5 and 5.0 logs, respectively) within 24 hours, without the immediate development of resistance. The observation that the rate of phage-resistant mutants was higher for phage 4F compared to phage 2F is interesting and could be further investigated to understand the factors contributing to this difference in resistance. Overall, the use of bacteriophages for biocontrol of coffee canker shows promise in terms of providing a greener and more sustainable approach to managing this agricultural disease. By reducing the reliance on antibiotics, which may have negative environmental impacts and contribute to antibiotic resistance, phage therapy offers an environmentally friendly alternative for coffee producers.Further research and development in this area could lead to the implementation of phage-based biocontrol strategies in coffee plantations, contributing to a more sustainable and economically viable production process in the global coffee market. However, it is essential to continue monitoring the potential emergence of phage-resistant mutants and devise strategies to manage and minimize their impact. Palavras-chave: Antibiotic Resistance, Bacteriophages, Cocktail of Phage, Coffee, Pseudomonas s. pv. Garcae Agência de fomento:Project funding by FAPESP (São Paulo, Brazil) (Refs. No. 2022/10775-9 (Project PsgPhageKill) and 2018/05522-9 (Project PsaPhageKill)), is hereby gratefully acknowledged. This work also received support from CNPq | |||||