Bacteriophages and Bacterial Plant Diseases.

Bibliographic Details
Title: Bacteriophages and Bacterial Plant Diseases.
Authors: Buttimer, Colin, McAuliffe, Olivia, Ross, R. P., Hill, Colin, O'Mahony, Jim, Coffey, Aidan
Source: Frontiers in Microbiology; 1/20/2017, Vol. 7/8, p1-15, 15p
Subject Terms: BACTERIOPHAGES, BACTERIAL disease prevention, PLANT diseases
Abstract: Losses in crop yields due to disease need to be reduced in order to meet increasing global food demands associated with growth in the human population. There is a well-recognized need to develop new environmentally friendly control strategies to combat bacterial crop disease. Current control measures involving the use of traditional chemicals or antibiotics are losing their efficacy due to the natural development of bacterial resistance to these agents. In addition, there is an increasing awareness that their use is environmentally unfriendly. Bacteriophages, the viruses of bacteria, have received increased research interest in recent years as a realistic environmentally friendly means of controlling bacterial diseases. Their use presents a viable control measure for a number of destructive bacterial crop diseases, with some phage-based products already becoming available on the market. Phage biocontrol possesses advantages over chemical controls in that tailor-made phage cocktails can be adapted to target specific disease-causing bacteria. Unlike chemical control measures, phage mixtures can be easily adapted for bacterial resistance which may develop over time. In this review, we will examine the progress and challenges for phage-based disease biocontrol in food crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Frontiers in Microbiology is the property of Frontiers Media S.A. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Complementary Index
More Details
ISSN:1664302X
DOI:10.3389/fmicb.2017.00034
Published in:Frontiers in Microbiology
Language:English