The endophytic microbiome of banana

Panama disease of banana, caused by the soil-borne fungus Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. cubense (Foc), is widespread in Indonesia but little is known about the interactions between pathogen, host and soil.  Although the pathogen can survive in soil for many years, its ability to infect the banana plant may depend, in part, on the soil conditions and other properties including the plant-associated microorganisms. The objective of this project is to disentangle the diversity and functional potential of the endophytic microbiome of banana genotypes with the ultimate goal to identify specific endophytic microbes that can suppress the pathogen.