** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** AROUND $60 BILLION OF GLOBAL CROP LOSS IS ATTRIBUTED TO PLANT VIRUSES THREATENING FOOD PRODUCTION, HUMAN, AND ANIMAL HEALTH. SOME OF THE MOST NOTORIOUS PLANT VIRUSES ARE TRANSMITTED BY INSECTS LIKE MYZUS PERSICAE, THE GREEN PEACH APHID. TO MANAGE THESE VIRUSES, CURRENT TACTICS INVOLVE PESTICIDES TARGETING APHIDS, WHICH CAN HARM THE ENVIRONMENT AND LEAD TO INSECTICIDE-RESISTANT INSECT POPULATIONS. TO MITIGATE CROP LOSS, NEW TECHNOLOGIES TO CONTROL VIRUS SPREAD IN A CROP ARE BEING RESEARCHED IN THE VIRUS-APHID INTERFACE, MAINLY FOCUSING ON REDUCING VIRUS TRANSMISSION TO PLANTS BY THE INSECT. THE RESEARCH IN THIS PROPOSAL WILL FOCUS ON UNDERSTANDING THE VIRUS-INSECT MOLECULAR INTERACTIONS AS IT PERTAINS TO VIRUS TRANSMISSION. TO COLLECT DATA FOR THIS PROJECT WE WILL RESEARCH THE PROTEINS AND MECHANISMS INSECTS USE TO TRANSMIT VIRUSES. THIS WILL PLAY A KEY ROLE IN UNDERSTANDING HOW TO DECREASE AND BLOCK VIRUS TRANSMISSION BY APHIDS. WE WILL ALSO UTILIZE TRANSGENIC PLANTS EXPRESSING A VIRUS PROTEIN THAT WE SHOWED DECREASES TRANSMISSION WHEN APHIDS ARE EXPOSED TO IT. THESE TRANSGENIC PLANTS MAY SERVE AS A TOOL TO PROTECT NON-TRANSGENIC CROPS FROM VIRUS INFECTION. WE AIM TO USE THE TRANSGENIC POTATOES AS A BORDER OF PROTECTION FROM INCOMING APHID POPULATIONS IN A FIELD. THE ULTIMATE GOALS OF THIS RESEARCH ARE TO 1) UNDERSTAND APHID-VIRUS TRANSMISSION AT A MOLECULAR LEVEL AND 2) EVALUATE TRANSGENIC POTATOES AS A TOOL TO PROTECT NON-TRANSGENIC POTATOES FROM APHID-TRANSMITTED VIRUSES.