Genome-guided Profiling of Functional Potential in Bacillus licheniformis Toward Feed and Industrial Applications
Keywords:
screening, secretome prediction, enzymatic activity, probiotic potential, antimicrobial resistanceAbstract
Interest in probiotic strains with functional characteristics that can support zootechnical health, improve production performance, enable the development of feed additives, and facilitate the discovery of novel bioactive molecules is steadily increasing. However, strains belonging to the same species can exhibit substantial genomic variability. This translates into significant differences in functional potential. In this context, genome-based prospecting represents a powerful strategy for the rapid identification of strains with desirable traits. This includes secretion capacity, production of hydrolytic enzymes, and antimicrobial activity, while simultaneously ensuring the absence of transferable antimicrobial resistance determinants. Such an approach enables early-stage screening and prioritization of candidate strains, reducing the need for extensive experimental testing on unsuitable isolates. From a practical perspective, this strategy can significantly accelerate strain selection pipelines in feed and industrial biotechnology by focusing experimental efforts only on high-potential candidates. This leads to reduced costs, shorter development timelines, and increased efficiency in identifying strains suitable for probiotic applications or enzyme production. Therefore, in this study, we demonstrate that genome-guided analysis of Bacillus licheniformis can reliably predict key functional traits, including enzymatic potential, antimicrobial activity and some safety-related features. Current approach represents a critical first step toward the rational development of microbial strains and provides a robust foundation for subsequent in-depth functional and in vivo validation studies.
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