Scientists from Penn State and the U.S. Department of Agriculture have developed a diagnostic test that enables early detection of Huanglongbing (HLB) by detecting the presence of the bacterium that causes the disease, i.e. Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas). Early detection of CLas is vital in controlling the spread of HLB because trees that have been infected by CLas can serve as a disease reservoir for years before symptoms are visible.
The diagnostic test has been developed using CRISPR/Cas technology and its sensitivity level is a hundred to a thousand times better than another popular diagnostic test – qPCR.
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