Citrus Trees Reimagined: A Living Weapon Against Citrus Greening

Citrus Trees Reimagined: A Living Weapon Against Citrus Greening

In a new strategy to combat citrus greening disease, scientists have engineered citrus trees to act as both bait and executioner for the insects that spread the disease. Using virus-induced gene silencing, the trees emit signals that attract the Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri, while delivering fatal blows through RNA interference that cripples the insect's development and survival. This dual-function design dramatically reduces insect po…