Lettuce 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequence reads Raw sequence reads

This study aims to determine the effect of post-harvest washing and irradiation on the bacterial community, with a focus on the potential of these interventions to mitigate ARB and ARGs on leafy vegetables. To simulate real-world sources of contamination such as contact with compost either in soil or within a post-harvest wash situation, lettuce leaves were inoculated with compost slurry containing antibiotic-resistant strains of pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms of concern, E. coli O157:H7 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Changes to the relative abundance of taxonomic groups on the lettuce phyllosphere of irradiated and non-irradiated lettuce stored under modified atmosphere conditions at 4ºC was assessed by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing.