Tools for Temporary Gene Expression in the HLB Battle

Abstract

When thinking about genetic engineering, the first thing that comes to mind is usually GMOs (genetically modified organisms) In a GMO, a plant genome is engineered to include additional genetic sequences, usually genes with some useful activity that give the plant an advantage. This method is called a stable method because genes will be inherited to the next generation. It is usually very slow, especially with tree crops such as citrus, which have a long juvenile stage that ranges from four to six years. It makes introducing and evaluating any genetic trait a two-decade process. However, this is only one possibility.