Researchers decode genome of insect harmful to citrus
Biologists at UC contributed to study on destructive insects
The Lake Okeechobee News in Florida highlighted an ambitious research project to unlock the genome of an insect that has devastated citrus growers.
Biologists with the University of Cincinnati collaborated with several other institutions on the project to study a sapsucking lice called the Asian citrus psyllid that feeds on citrus leaves. The insect spreads a bacterial infection called citrus greening disease that has caused billions of dollars in crop damage.
The disease has wiped out millions of acres of citrus trees in the United States and around the world. There is no known cure, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
UC partnered with Indian River State College, the Boyce Thompson Institution, Cornell University and Kansas State University.
By unlocking the genome of the insect, researchers hope to find more effective methods to control the spread of the insect.
Read the Lake Okeechobee News story.
Featured image at top: UC biology students contributed to a study unlocking the genome of an insect that has devastated the citrus crop. Photo/Utkarsh Patil
Related Stories
Heavy social media use linked to depression
August 31, 2026
U.S. News and World Report, Yahoo! News, MSN, USA Today and other national media highlight a new study by the University of Cincinnati and Northwestern University that found a correlation between heavy social media use and depression in adults.
These teeny spiders are social media stars
August 28, 2026
The New York Times turned to a University of Cincinnati professor to explain the appeal of jumping spiders on social media.
An internal divide among unions on AI impacts the Wisconsin gubernatorial race
August 28, 2026
Anne Lofaso, a professor in the Donald P. Klekamp College of Law at UC, spoke with Wisconsin Public Radio, about the schism among unions over AI and whether it is a plus, a negative, or somewhere in between when looking at job creation.