Dinny Stevens

I am currently working in collaboration with the USDA on the development of therapeutics for Huanglongbing (HLB), also known as citrus greening disease. In the United States, citrus crops have been threatened by Diaphorina citri which incubate the endogenous bacterium Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus that induces HLB. Due to their small size and high surface area, nanoparticles exhibit unique properties relative to their larger counterparts. My project aims to develop antimicrobial encapsulated nanoparticles. Utilizing nanoparticle carriers, therapeutics can be delivered through feeding activity of piercing and sucking insects to the plant vascular system (phloem) where the bacteria reside.