What question did this study set out to answer?

To explore the dual nature of Acinetobacter as both a pathogen and a beneficial microbe in specific contexts.

February 8, 2026

Acinetobacter-the bad, the ugly, but also the good!

Key Points

To explore the dual nature of Acinetobacter as both a pathogen and a beneficial microbe in specific contexts.
Review of literature on Acinetobacter and its pathogenic and beneficial roles.
Analysis of the impact of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus on tomato plants.
Examination of metagenomics and metagenome-assembled genomes in understanding bacterial diversity.
Acinetobacter is primarily recognized as an opportunistic pathogen causing difficult-to-treat infections.
Certain species, like Acinetobacter calcoaceticus, can enhance growth in tomato plants.
Metagenomics techniques reveal important insights into the role of Acinetobacter species in various environments.

Abstract

The genus Acinetobacter is vast and diverse regarding its hosts. However, it is best known as an opportunistic pathogen that causes hard-to-treat nosocomial infections. Yet, some species of the genus can be beneficial for some hosts. Such is the case of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus, which can have a significant impact on tomato plants, as was recently shown in a paper by Robertson et al. (S. Robertson, A. Mosca, S. Ashraf, A. Corral, et al., mSphere 11:e00842-25, 2026, https://doi.org/10.1128/msphere.00842-25). Importantly, that study also exemplifies how metagenomics in general, but metagenome-assembled genomes in particular, can be employed to understand the functional specialization and identity of the bacterial species dwelling in particular environments.

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