Whole genome sequencing and phenotypic characterization of microbial isolates associated with two Floridian fig...

Fig-associated microbes are increasingly recognized as important contributors to the ecology of fig ( Ficus ) communities, yet few cultured isolates are available for functional investigation. Students enrolled in a course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) phenotypically characterized and generated high-quality genome assemblies for 22 bacterial isolates recovered from Ficus aurea and Ficus citrifolia in southern Florida, USA. These isolates represent six bacterial species spanning four genera and provide a genomic resource for future investigations of microbial interactions within fig communities.