Plume Sandoz

Introduction

My Master’s thesis forms part of the ENHANCE project, which aims to develop biofungicides. Micro-organisms – bacteria and fungi – work together to fight pathogens that threaten agriculture. My project aims to promote and facilitate these interactions. As the movement of bacteria is restricted in dry soil, one solution is to use ‘fungal highways’, forming a network that allows bacteria to move through the soil; however, the hyphae must be surrounded by water. This is where biosurfactants come into play, using their natural surface-active properties to enhance bacterial transport and hyphal growth. The expected results include the identification of bacteria that produce a supernatant which promotes hyphal growth, the formation of a liquid film, and the transport of bacteria via fungal highways.