Project Number: 1920-22000-040-03
Project Type: General Cooperative Agreement

Start Date: Mar 16, 2009
End Date: Mar 31, 2012

Objective:
1) Devise and perform alternative methods (microinjection and/or membrane uptake) to complete Koch’s postulates using a pure culture of bacteria isolated and cultured in our laboratory and healthy psyllids as a transmission tool; and, 2) following successful inoculation or loading of the psyllids, we will complete Koch’s postulates. The goal of this research is the clear and definitive completion of Koch’s postulates confirming a specific bacterium as the causal agent of the HLB disease.

Approach:
Healthy psyllids will be fed on membranes containing the cultured Liberibacter pathogen, then transferred to healthy plants in an attempt to complete Koch's postulates. The alternative approach will utilize direct injection of purified Liberibacter culture into the psyllid using a microinjector.