Bacterial consortia for biocontrol inoculants and plant growth promotion

Overview

This research program focuses on identifying bacterial strains suitable for formulating biocontrol inoculants that promote plant growth and protect crops from pests. The work targets practical agricultural applications, including beans and corn, with the goal of developing bacterial consortia that improve soil fertility, support mineralization of organic waste, and provide natural pest control. The program is based on prior laboratory expertise in biofilm formation, cell communication, and molecular microbiology, now applied to plant microbiome dynamics.

Technical specifications

Research objectives:

• Test the biological control capacity of selected bacterial strains against agricultural pests
• Perform molecular characterization and determine anti-pathogenic activity of candidate strains
• Conduct microbiological metagenomic studies of highly fertile soil samples to map plant microbiome dynamics and their influence on plant growth
• Establish a system of at least 20 bacterial consortia to evaluate growth of experimental plants including beans and corn
• Identify Bacillus genus bacteria that can function as biocontrol strains against specific pests

Technical foundation:

• Molecular analysis of biofilm formation, including the role of signaling molecules such as c-di-GMP
• Study of cell communication, mineralization, and cellulolytic processes
• Substrate degradation activity assays and strain viability testing
• PCR assays with specific primers to identify bacteria present in fertile soil samples
• Replication and improvement of bacterial consortia for agricultural deployment

Preliminary experiments have already shown substantive differences in plant growth and pest biocontrol when treated with candidate consortia.

Technology readiness level

The research is at an early-to-mid stage of development. Laboratory validation has confirmed that candidate strains form biofilm under specific culture conditions, with demonstrated activity in cell communication, mineralization, cellulolytic processes, and substrate degradation. Preliminary plant growth and biocontrol experiments have shown promising results. The 16-month study plan includes collecting soil samples from highly fertile sites, performing PCR-based identification, replicating and improving bacterial consortia, and identifying Bacillus strains for pest biocontrol. The research team is actively seeking partnership with local farmers to support the development of plant models and advance validation in real agricultural settings.