The global demand for fresh and minimally processed fruits and vegetables has risen significantly, intensifying concerns about microbial contamination and foodborne illnesses. Although conventional management strategies based on chemical fungicides remain widely used, they are increasingly viewed as unsustainable due to challenges such as pesticide resistance, environmental pollution, and potential health risks.

As a sustainable alternative, biocontrol strategies employing natural antagonists—such as bacteria, yeasts, and bacteriophages—offer targeted pathogen suppression while preserving ecological balance.

In South Korea, Shine Muscat grapes and oriental melons are economically significant horticultural crops. However, their limited shelf life and high susceptibility to microbial spoilage result in considerable postharvest losses.

Developing effective biocontrol treatments is therefore essential to reduce microbial contamination and improve the postharvest quality and marketability of these crops.

In this project, we aim to isolate and characterize antagonistic endophytic microorganisms—particularly bacterial strains such as Bacillus spp. and lactic acid bacteria (LAB)—from Shine Muscat grapes and oriental melons sourced from local markets. Simultaneously, fungal pathogens will be isolated from fruit samples showing spoilage symptoms such as discoloration or lesions.

The inhibitory activity of the isolated endophytes against these fungal pathogens will be assessed using in vitro antagonistic assays on agar plates, serving as a preliminary evaluation prior to in vivo trials on fresh produce.

Additionally, recent advances in nanopore sequencing now enable comprehensive analysis of fungal community dynamics in response to biocontrol treatments. By applying this technology, we aim to monitor shifts in the fungal microbiota of treated produce, providing a broader perspective on the impact of biocontrol beyond individual target pathogens.

Ultimately, further experiments will evaluate the potential of these endophytic bacteria to reduce preharvest spoilage of Shine Muscat grapes and oriental melons under real-world conditions.