Phage biocontrol of crazy roots and its ecological impact

Due to the ever increasing prevalence of resistance to antibiotic, alternative treatments for infectious diseases are searched. Plant diseases are no exception and today, spraying antibiotics on the fiels is already forbidden in Europa. A promising alternative is phage biocontrol, in which virusses are used to treat bacterial plant pathogens. During this PhD, the potential of phages to treat hairy root disease will be investigated. This disease is caused by Agrobacterium rhizogenes biovar 1. the efficiency of the treatment will be assessed in greenhouses where tomatoes are cultivated. Apart from the efficience, also the impact of the treamtent in natural biome will be investigated, focussing n the virome. Also other factors that can affect the virome will be assessed.