Postharvest bacterial succession on cut flowers and vase water

Microbes significantly affect postharvest quality, so it is vital to understand which bacteria are present when learning more about their roles in postharvest physiology. While previous culture-based studies revealed that specific genera of bacteria tend to be present on different flowers, it is unclear if and how the composition of bacterial communities changes during the vase period. In this project, we aimed to begin answering these questions by analyzing the 16S sequences amplified from DNA extracted from water and flower stems. We compared the bacterial communities between flowers and the changes in bacterial communities during the vase period.