bacLIFE screens thousands of bacterial genomes for disease-related genes

Leiden University researcher Guillermo Guerrero Egido developed bacLIFE, a machine-learning tool that compares thousands of bacterial genomes simultaneously to identify potential plant pathogens and candidate disease-related genes. His research analyzed more than 16,000 bacterial genomes, using known lifestyles from around 40% of them to train the system. The program identified hundreds of candidate genes. In laboratory tests, researchers disabled six candidates and found that the bacteria became far less effective at infecting plants. The method helps researchers select genes for experiments rather than switching them off one by one. The functions of some tested genes remain unknown, and an adapted version for fungi still awaits experimental validation.