Location: Subtropical Insects and Horticulture Research
Project Number: 6034-22320-004-039-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Apr 1, 2018
End Date: Jan 29, 2020
Objective:
To conduct collaborative research on the testing of synthetically derived strains from Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus to develop a non-pathogenic strain that can out-compete the pathogenic strain within citrus trees.
Approach:
Collaboration with the University of Florida is necessary for two reasons: 1) Utilize expertise in plant pathology and plant pathogen effector biology; and 2) to obtain access through this collaboration to University of Florida containment facility that is required for initial evaluation of synthetic Liberibacter strains. Research involves initial interactions with Synthetic Biology, Inc. A company with proprietary methods used to develop synthetic bacteria. They will provide the synthetic bacteria for testing for replication and within citrus and Asian citrus psyllids and for evaluation fo the synthetic bacterium’s ability to induce huanglongbing (HLB) symptoms in the plant and to out-compete pathogenic strains of Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus that is also within the citrus plant. Most experiments will be conducted in the containment greenhouses located on University of Florida propter at the Indian River Research and Education Center in Fort Pierce, Florida. Plant and insect tissue samples will be transferred to the USDA, U.S. Horticultural Research laboratory in Fort Pierce, Florida, for molecular analysis.
