Characterization of a novel microorganism with antimicrobial potential for controlling phytopathogens of agricultural interest.

• Grant number: 25/02533-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: June 01, 2025
• End date: May 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Microbiology - Applied Microbiology
• Principal Investigator: Elizabeth Bilsland
• Grantee: Giovanna Felette de Paula
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biologia (IB). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

In 2022 Brazil was the country that most used pesticides in the world, approximately 801 thousand tons of the product were applied to cultivated areas. These substances are harmful due to their own formulation and also due to their residues being difficult to degradate, promoting soil infertility and contamination of living beings and the environment. Furthermore, the use of chemical pesticides is associated with the occurrence of illnesses in humans, such as cancer and neurodegenerative diseases.Due to the adversities associated with the use of chemical pesticides in agriculture, there is a growing need to discover new products to control phytopathogens, mainly related to the possibility of them being less harmful when compared to the effects of current chemical pesticides on the market. Biological inputs, such as biodefensive products, have the advantages of being biodegradable, presenting low harm to the environment and living beings, in addition to being highly effective even at low concentrations.Given the fact that Brazil is the country with the greatest biodiversity in the world, the national territory provides a vast source for discovering new substances and microorganisms with antimicrobial activity. Through bioprospecting, microorganisms and metabolites that have antifungal and antibiotic activity can be identified. Once their antibiosis capacity is confirmed, these microorganisms can be used in the future to formulate biodefensive products, with the aim of combating phytopathogenic bacteria and fungi that cause a decrease in agricultural productivity.