Aims To isolate and characterize novel bacteriophages infecting the phytopathogen, Ralstonia solanacearum, and to evaluate them as resources with potential uses in the biocontrol of bacterial wilt. Methods and Results Fourteen phages infecting R. solanacearum were isolated from soil samples collected in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The phages showed different host ranges when tested against 59 R. solanacearum strains isolated from Thailand and Japan. These phages were characterized as nine podoviruses and five myoviruses based on their morphology. Podovirus J2 in combination with another podovirus (φRSB2) lysed host cells very efficiently in contaminated soil. J2 treatment prevented wilting of tomato plants infected with a highly virulent R. solanacearum strain. Conclusions Treatment with J2 effectively reduced the amount of the bacterial wilt pathogen in contaminated soil and prevented bacterial wilt of tomato in pot experiments. Myovirus J6 possessed jumbo phage features, giving a unique opportunity to study its utilization as a biocontrol agent. Significance and Impact of the Study As exemplified by J2, the phages isolated in this study represent valuable resources with potential uses in biocontrol of bacterial wilt. A rare jumbo phage J6 served as a valuable subject to understand and utilize this new group of phages.

This study aims to determine the role of worldview perspective on science students’ decision-making process by a socio-scientific issue-based instruction through an integrated Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education. Understanding the decision-making process in complex themed learning is one of the most important instruments in understanding the way students think. The participants were one hundred and nine junior-high-school students from two different schools. Furthermore, the method used was a pre-experimental design with two collective groups, namely the pre-and posttest, starting with an educational study design. The results showed that there was a different perspective pattern based on the worldview perspective on students’ initial decisions. Furthermore, interventions with socio-scientific issues (SSI) based instruction through integrated STEM education provided significant dynamics of change in the final science decision made by the students on the basis of a worldview perspective and gender. Some practical implications were extremely discussed, such as the crucial role of the teacher during a complex lesson topic. Therefore, this study makes an indispensable contribution to the development of the knowledge of science teaching practice, especially on how a decision-making process occurs by a socio-scientific issue-based instruction through integrated STEM education.

Introduction: Food contaminated with pathogenic bacteria is one of the most harmful things that can even threaten human life. Over time, these pathogenic bacteria are increasingly resistant to antibiotics. Continuous use of synthetic preservatives will also have an adverse effect. This study was conducted to evaluate the synergy of bacteriophage and antibiotics in increasing antibiotics inhibition to the bacteria that cause foodborne disease. Methodology: The test was performed by plaque assay and paper disc diffusion on NA medium in the same petri dish. The combination was incubated for 24 hours at 37ºC. An antibiotic inhibition on a non-bacteriophage test showed cefadroxil could only inhibit P21B bacteria. Results: Cefadroxil inhibition in the PAS test showed that these antibiotics could inhibit some other foodborne disease bacteria (Salmonella spp., Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli). The inhibitory observed from the clear zone located around the disc paper. Conclusion: These results provide useful information to reduce the risk of antibiotic resistance in humans and foods.