Biological control of plant pathogens has steadily grown in popularity over the past several decades as an alternative to the use of pesticides which negatively affects the environment. A problem in the use of biocontrol agents is the unpredictability of interactions they face once introduced to the soil, some of which impair the production of antibiotic and antifungal compounds. This project aimed to develop a suitable method for testing and analyzing the effects that extracts of a species of pythium and three unknown fungi (F-14, F-21, and F-36) have on the biosynthesis of antibiotics 2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol, monoacetylphloroglucinol, and pyoluteorin in cultures of Pseudomonas fluorescens PF-5. This study demonstrates that the fungal extracts significantly affect biosynthesis.
Denis Jimenez, ’12
Greeley, CO
Majors: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Philosophy
Sponsor: Brian Nowak-Thompson