DEVELOPMENT OF AN APPARATUS AND PROTOCOL FOR THE EFFICIENT ISOLATION OF BACTERIA AND YEASTS THAT ATTACH TO BOTRYTIS-CINEREA GERMLINGS

An apparatus and protocol for the efficient and consistent isolation o f bacteria and yeasts with the ability to attach to germlings of Botry tis cinerea is described. The study focused on minimising microbial co ntamination by bacteria or yeasts which do not attach to the pathogen B. cinerea but which interact with materials used in the equipment and would otherwise be isolated along with target microbes. After develop ment, the assay reduced the contamination rate to 1-2 cells per 100 ad ded and this was found to be a satisfactory level for the selection of microbial attachers to fungal hyphae. One or more phenotypes of micro bes that adhered to B. cinerea germlings were found in 97% of the 70 s amples collected from phylloplane washings and processed using this as say.