A researcher working with UC Riverside scientists has developed a simple test designed to detect two of the most virulent bacteria facing today’s farmers.
The test is so simple it can be performed in the field, as opposed to current practices that require a weeks-long process where samples are sent to distant labs. It also costs about one-fourth as much.
“The idea of accomplishing this is pretty remarkable,” said entomology researcher Sean Prager, who worked with the scientist responsible for developing the test.
What’s even more remarkable is that the test’s inventor, Saumya Keremane, is just 18. She graduated in June from Riverside’s Martin Luther King High School.
Keremane was recognized for her research by the Reno-based Davidson Institute, which provides scholarships to what it calls “profoundly intelligent young people,” with a $25,000 scholarship. She will be attending UC San Diego this fall and plans to be a research scientist.
Her test makes it possible for farmers to test psyllids – tiny flying insects – for huanglongbing, or citrus greening disease. There is no known treatment for the bacterial disease, which has devastated citrus crops in Florida and other regions. Early detection would allow for the quick removal of infected trees.
The test can also be adapted to detect Candidatus Liberibacter, a bacteria that causes an almost equally damaging disease in potatoes called zebra chip disease.
Keremane’s research was published in February in the journal Crop Protection.
The science behind the test she created, he said, “requires a heck of a lot of technique to learn. The skill set required for this would be advanced for a graduate student, let alone a high school student.”
