UWM Biological Sciences Professor Ching-Hong Yang was recently awarded a $1.5 million grant to support his research on a novel compound that suppresses disease in citrus crops.
The award from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture supports a project aiming to bring to market a biopesticide that fights huanglongbing, also known as HLB or citrus greening disease.
UWM professor Ching-Hong Yang and his business partner Daniel Burgin. They created the startup, T3 Bioscience, and a series of genetically modified plants that are able to survive fire blight.
HLB is a bacterial infection of citrus plants and is among the most serious citrus diseases in the world. Left unchecked, the disease can devastate millions of acres of citrus crops. Yang’s novel compound RejuAgro A (RAA) has shown significant results in combatting the disease.
Combined with the $2.4 million in National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) USDA grants awarded to Yang in 2023 for developing organic strategies to manage apple fire blight and citrus HLB, his total federal research funding now exceeds $3.9 million.
“This funding from NIFA represents a critical step forward in translating our laboratory discoveries into real-world agricultural solutions,” Yang said. “With this support, we can accelerate the development and commercialization of RejuAgro A — a sustainable, natural compound that has the potential to protect citrus crops globally from the devastating effects of huanglongbing. Our ultimate goal is to provide growers with an effective, affordable tool that supports both plant health and long-term agricultural resilience.”
This project represents a major step toward commercializing an innovative, natural solution for one of the most devastating citrus diseases in the world.
Written by Sarah Vickery
Link to original story: https://uwm.edu/news/biology-professor-receives-grant-to-combat-devastating-citrus-crop-disease/