Sphingomonas phyllosphaerae 5.2 Genome sequencing and assembly. Sphingomonas phyllosphaerae 5.2

One challenge for the future is the generation of renewable energy such as biofuel to reduce our dependency on fossil fuel. A crucial step to achieve this goal resides in high crop yields production without the massive use of chemical pesticides that pollute the environment. In this respect, biocontrol agents that prevent plant invasion by pathogens are valuable environmentally friendly and economically sustainable solutions. The success of biopesticide industry depends on our understanding of biocontrol mechanisms. Indeed, applying laboratory studies to field is often difficult, due to the increased complexity of the biological and physical environment. In addition, strains used so far are not necessarily competitive in this environment and isogenic strains are active only against one pathogen. Understanding the underlying mechanisms for plant protection in natural competitive isolates will thus be necessary for the large-scale use of these organisms. Sphingomonas spp. represent particularly interesting plant protecting agents as they are abundant in the phyllosphere of many plants. Genome sequence information of naturally occurring plant protecting strains of Sphingomonas is a pre-requisite to understand their competitiveness in the phyllosphere and the basis for biocontrol. In addition, Sphingomonas can be expected to harbor a potential for pollutant degradation in the phyllosphere which we expect to be exploited by other laboratories in the future and for which genome sequenced strains would represent an incentive.