Our team engineers next-generation viral vectors by repurposing high-impact plant pathogens—such as Citrus Tristeza Virus (CTV), which shares replication strategies with SARS-CoV-2—into modular tools for crop protection. The students will focus on ‘Genome Refactoring’ to streamline complex architectures into stable ‘cargo-ready’ expression platforms. By leveraging their natural movement, we enable ‘Targeted Delivery’ of therapeutic molecules, including RNAi, for systemic trait enhancement and agricultural resilience.
This team is accepting applications for Spring 2027.
Team Leads: Yongduo Sun (Plant Pathology)
