Firstly, there is a new weapon in the fight against citrus greening disease.  But what?   Do you know that scientists have figured out a way to make a special kind of pesticide even better and more deadly to a tiny bug that spreads this disease.

The goal was to create a one-punch combo to wipe out the bug.  The scientists murdered the bug by enhancing the pesticide's  delivery and effectiveness. They had a solution.  They wrapped a pesticide and a special type of RNA in a tiny package.  This package is made from a mix of chitosan and something called Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs).  The scientists call this package CS-MOF nanoparticles.

The nanoparticles were not made over night and are a revolution.  These nanoparticles are like superheroes, they make the delivery of two weapons to our target, Diaphorina Citri happen effectively.  You know,  Diaphorina Citri is an infamous citrus killer.  It has a nickname.  It is called the Asian citrus psyllid

But what is so special about this tiny package?  Interestingly enough, the special pesticide is able to control how it is released precisely.  In addition,  the MOFs in the package protect the RNA from being destroyed by the environment.  This is important because this RNA is the good stuff in the package.  The RNA and the pesticide work together to kill the bug.

Before these nanoparticles were unleashed,  it was hard to get each of these weapons to their targets.  The RNA is not the strongest and a lot of  the pesticide was lost before it could do any good.  This was like firing a gun in the dark.  The people originally had no idea if they were hitting the target.  However, using the nanoparticles was like turning on a light.  They now know what they are doing and are able to hit the bullseye every time.

What else do you need to know?   They tested the nanoparticles on the bugs and the results were amazing.  In two days, over 80% of the bugs were killed!  This is a big improvement over the original pesticide.  The scientists think this new approach can be used to fight other bugs in the future.

However, more research is needed.   While the nanoparticles were tested in a lab, they haven't been tested in real fields yet.  Is the solution really ready?  Can it really be used on farms in the real world?

Scientists will have to answer questions like these in order to solve the problem of citrus greening in the future.

Fighting Citrus Greening: Innovative Pesticide Receives a Boost

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