** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** PESTICIDES ARE EXTENSIVELY USED FOR FOOD PRODUCTION IN FIELD. BUT PESTICIDES AND METHODS USED TO APPLY THEM ARE INEFFICIENT. PESTICIDES ACCUMULATE IN THE ENVIRONMENT, ON CROPS, AND IN DRINKING WATER. PESTICIDES ARE TOXIC TO THE ENVIRONMENT AND HUMAN HEALTH. IT IMPORTANT TO DEVELOP BETTER WAYS TO APPLY PESTICIDES. A NANOTECHNOLOGY IS PROPOSED TO PACKAGE AND SAFELY DELIVER PESTICIDES. THIS TARGETED DELIVERY IS EXPECTED TO REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF PESTICIDE NEEDED. PESTS WILL BE TREATED MORE EFFECTIVELY, AND LESS AMOUNT OF PESTICIDES WILL ACCUMULATE IN THE ENVIRONMENT. NANOTECHNOLOGY HAS ALREADY MADE AN IMPACT MEDICINE. WE SEEK TO MAKE AN IMPACT ON AGRICULTURE USING THESE TINY YET POWERFUL NANOPARTICLES. A NANOPARTICLE IS 2500 TIMES SMALLER THAN THE WIDTH OF A HUMAN HAIR. A KEY INNOVATIVE ASPECT OF THIS APPROACH IS THAT WE USE THE NANOPARTICLES FROM A HARMLESS PLANT VIRUS. PLANT VIRUSES NATURALLY OCCUR IN SOIL AND PLANTS. PLANT VIRUSES CAN BE ENGINEERED TO CUSTOMIZE SIZE AND MATERIALS PROPERTIES. UNDER THIS PROPOSAL WE WILL USE SUCH PLANT VIRUSES TO ANSWER HOW SIZE AND MATERIALS PROPERTIES AFFECTS ITS INTERACTIONS WITH SOIL AND PLANTS. UNDERSTANDING THESE FUNDAMENTAL QUESTIONS IS EXPECTED TO MAKE AN IMPACT ON NEXT-GENERATION PESTICIDES. FINDINGS FROM THIS RESEARCH WILL HELP GUIDE THE DESIGN OF MORE EFFECTIVE AND SAFER PESTICIDES. THE OVERARCHING GOAL IS TO IMPROVE FOOD QUALITY AND SAFETY.PLANT VIRUSES CAN BE ENGINEERED TO CUSTOMIZE SIZE AND MATERIALS PROPERTIES. UNDER THIS PROPOSAL WE WILL USE SUCH PLANT VIRUSES TO ANSWER HOW SIZE AND MATERIALS PROPERTIES AFFECTS ITS INTERACTIONS WITH SOIL AND PLANTS. UNDERSTANDING THESE FUNDAMENTAL QUESTIONS IS EXPECTED TO MAKE AN IMPACT ON NEXT-GENERATION PESTICIDES. FINDINGS FROM THIS RESEARCH WILL HELP GUIDE THE DESIGN OF MORE EFFECTIVE AND SAFER PESTICIDES. THE OVERARCHING GOAL IS TO IMPROVE FOOD QUALITY AND SAFETY.