Detection and control of off-flavour compound-producing streptomycetes on locally produced nuts using streptophages
Laura G. Dionysius A , Peter R. Brooks A and D. İpek Kurtböke A *A Centre for Bioinnovation and the School of Science, Technology and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore DC, Qld 4558, Australia.
Laura G. Dionysius is one of the USC recent graduates with first class Honours. She also holds a BSc in the Science Program of the USC. She conducted research with Dr İpek Kurtböke over the past 2 years related to the application of various actinophages. While in Grade 11, she began studying at USC through the Head Start program and has since become the first student from her school, Peregian Beach College, to graduate with Honours and achieve first class. She is also a member of the USC Science Society Committee as the Treasurer. |
Dr Peter Brooks has a PhD in Chemistry from the University of New South Wales, awarded in 1989. He then moved to the University of Adelaide before taking up a position at La Trobe University, Bendigo. Since 2001 he has taught analytical, organic and general chemistries at the University of the Sunshine Coast. Dr Brooks has extensive research experience in analytical, environmental, and organic chemistry. His research has focused on environmental monitoring and the quantitation of bioactive compounds. |
Dr D. İpek Kurtböke is currently a senior lecturer at the University of the Sunshine Coast (USC) in Australia and one of the members of the Centre for Bioinnovation of the USC, conducting research in applied, industrial and environmental microbiology. She is an internationally reputed actinomycetologist and she has been in the field of biodiscovery since 1982 conducting research into discovery of novel and potent therapeutic compounds produced by actinomycetes in Turkey, Italy, the UK, and Australia with leading pharmaceutical companies. She has been an Executive Board member of the World Federation of Culture Collections (WFCC) since 2000, currently serving her second term as the President of the Federation. She is also one of the members of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV)’s Bacterial Viruses Subcommittee. She has editorial duties in different journals including Marine Drugs, Diversity and Frontiers Marine Science/Marine Biotechnology. |
Microbiology Australia 43(1) 36-39 https://doi.org/10.1071/MA22011
Submitted: 17 January 2022 Accepted: 17 February 2022 Published: 23 April 2022
© 2022 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing on behalf of the ASM. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND)
Abstract
Members of the phylum Actinomycetota are the most prominent part of the soil microbiota, more specifically the species within the genus Streptomyces of this phylum. Key functions of Streptomyces species (or streptomycetes in general terms) include nutrient cycling and plant growth promotion and disease protection. However, these species can also produce volatile organic compounds, predominantly geosmin, which is responsible for musty and mildew scents that are unpleasant to humans and can negatively impact the nut crop industry as odorous nuts generally lose their market value. Bacterial viruses, called bacteriophages have been previously used successfully in agriculture and aquaculture to remove such odorous species and they may therefore be applied to the nut industry. To eliminate these compounds, the producer streptomycetes may be selectively removed from nut surfaces using streptophages. The removal of Streptomyces species from nut surfaces can then be expected to minimise geosmin production, therefore removing the unpleasant off-flavours and benefiting the nut industry.
Keywords: actinomycetes, bacteriophages, food taints, geosmin, nuts, Streptomyces, streptophage, volatile organic compounds.
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