Work in the Stop the Rot: Combating onion bacterial diseases with pathogenomics and enhanced management strategies SCRI project includes gathering isolates of onion bacterial pathogens collected from US farms over the duration of the project (2019-2023).
A selection of these isolates is included in the National Onion Bacterial Strain Collection (NOBSC). This searchable database is to centralize sample collection information, isolate identification, pathogenicity testing results, photos, and DNA sequencing data. The NOBSC contains over 2,200 unique accessions.
The National Onion Bacterial Strain Collection (NOBSC) resulting from the Stop the Rot SCRI project provides an invaluable resource for future genetic studies of pathogens and associated bacteria in/on onions, for example in whole-genome sequencing to find virulence factors in order to develop robust molecular tools to detect and differentiate pathogenic vs. non-pathogenic bacteria. The NOBSC facilitates the development of effective phenotypic methods of screening onion germplasm for reactions to diverse bacterial pathogens, alone and in combinations, which will support future efforts to breed for resistance.
For more information, see the Stop the Rot project page, or contact us at stoptherot.project@gmail.com