Development of a novel biological control agent targeting the phytopathogen .

Antibiotics are used extensively to control animal, plant, and human pathogens. They are sprayed on apple and pear orchards to control the bacterium , the causative agent of fire blight. This phytopathogen is developing antibiotic resistance and alternatives either have less efficacy, are phytotoxic, or more management intensive.

Bacillus and Paenibacillus secreted polyketides and peptides involved in controlling human and plant pathogens.

Overuse of broad-spectrum antibiotics to control human and plant pathogens greatly accelerated the development of antibiotic resistance among bacteria and fungi. Therefore, usage of new approaches is necessary to control outbreaks of phytopathogenic diseases as well as multidrug-resistant human pathogens. Many of the polyketides (PKs) and lipopetides (LPs) produced by Bacillus and Paenibacillus species have been described as antimicrobial agents that can be potentially applied as sustainable bio-organic products in medicine against human pathogens and in agriculture for controlling plant pathogens.