State-of-the-art nonlinear optical microscopic and electrophysiological techniques will be used to expand applicability of fungi-based biocontrol agents. Fungal phytopathogens, causing the loss of 28 % of annual crop production worldwide, are generally controlled by chemical fungicides. To reduce their negative impact on the environment, Trichoderma-based bioagents with a range of plant-protective and fungicide actions can be used instead. The project will be based on nano-surgery of fungal cell wall using ultrashort laser pulses and subsequent patch clamping on the released protoplast membrane. Thus we will be able to study the activity of peptaibols, a class of antimicrobial short peptides released by Trichoderma species, which exert their fungicide activity by forming ion channels in pathogen membrane. this project will result in the developed instrumentation and the unique method for studies of ionic channels in native fungal plasma membrane. The method will be further used to screen and characterize peptaibol activity under conditions mimicking different physicochemical soil properties. Testing a range of autochthonous Trichoderma spp. isolates will enable formulations that work best in specific soil types. Developed method should represent the controllable improvement strategy for Trichoderma-based biocontrol agents adjusted to the soil conditions in Serbia, unlike the common trial-error method in design of biocontrol agents.

Period: 2023-2025

Project coordinator: Dr. Aleksandar Krmpot, Institiute for Physics, University of Belgrade

Team members from IBISS:
Dr. Nataša Todorović, Department of Neurophysiology

External advisors:
Dr. Tijana Cvetić Antić, Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade
Dr. Kristina Atlagić, Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade
Dr. Miroslav Živić, Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade
Tanja Pajić, Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade
Katarina Stevanović, Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade
Katarina Kruščić, Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade
Marta Bukumira, Institute of Physics Belgrade, University of Belgrade
Jovana Jelić, Institute of Physics Belgrade, University of Belgrade
Mihajlo Radmilović, Institute of Physics Belgrade, University of Belgrade