Directed Evolution of a Pantoea Strain for Antibiotic Production via Interspecies Competition: A Reproducible Experimental Approach

Abstract

A novel methodology for evolving antibiotic-producing bacterial strains is presented, based on interspecies competition and environmental pressure. Using a previously undescribed strain of the genus Pantoea, we established a breeding protocol in which gradual exposure to different bacterial pathogens at increasing temperatures resulted in the selective emergence of antibiotic-producing variants. The target pathogens included Staphylococcus aureus, Acinetobacter baumannii, Streptococcus agalactiae, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The competitive passages were performed over a range of temperatures, gradually selecting for strains capable of inhibiting these species. Antibiotic activity was confirmed via disk diffusion assays. Although the chemical identity of the active compounds remains to be determined, their biological effects are reproducible and strain-specific. The approach provides a low-cost, scalable method for the generation of new antibiotic-producing bacterial strains.