XhortOMICs: Diagnostic and epidemiological tools for the Xanthomonas hortorum species-level clade based on OMICs technologies

Description

Despite its recent re-emergence and increased prevalence in many countries, the research on Xanthomonas hortorum species-level clade members has been very limited until now. It is thus important to have an increased knowledge thereof to be able to react to its increasing occurrence. Therefore, the overall aim of the SNF funded project called XhortOMICs is to study the genomic diversity of the different pathovars within the X. hortorum species-level clade in order to design novel diagnostic methods and to study the molecular base of host-specificity of the individual pathovars. Genomic data of X. hortorum species-level clade members are largely unavailable, and this project aims at filling that substantial gap. By establishing the genome sequences of representative isolates from this clade, this project will also fill in an important information gap with insights on population ecology, virulence, genetics and evolution. This will also allow designing genomics informed assays for rapid, easy and in-field diagnostics in order to contribute to a prevention of further spreading/introduction of these pathogens. Additionally, this project will study host-specificity and pathogenicity factors by setting up plant assays for bacterial mutant phenotyping.