Meet Alumni:

Moitri Santra

2021 3M Young Scientist Challenge Finalist
2025 Alumni Grant Recipient

Moitri was awarded the New Idea to Improve the World Grant for their work on the "Development of a Microneedle Patch Sensor for Detecting Oxytetracycline in Citrus Root Tissues."

About their Project

Citrus greening disease is one of the biggest threats to citrus trees worldwide, and while the antibiotic oxytetracycline (OTC) can help, growers currently have no easy way to confirm if it’s reaching the right part of the tree. Their project is developing a microneedle patch that can detect OTC in citrus roots—helping farmers know if treatments are working.

The patch uses special coatings to capture OTC and reveal its presence through fluorescence, offering a fast, affordable, and field-ready solution. This tool could help growers apply antibiotics more effectively, reduce waste, and slow the spread of this devastating disease.

What was the inspiration behind your project?

My inspiration for this project stems from firsthand experiences with citrus stakeholders across Florida. Through my research over the past three years in the field, I have collaborated with growers, manufacturers, and plant pathologists to understand the key factors that need to be considered when developing effective tools for citrus greening. Growers require a practical and easy-to-use solution, manufacturers focus on cost-effectiveness, and plant pathologists emphasize the nature of the bacteria causing the disease. But in particular, one of the conversations I had with a grower stood out: I received a message from a grower expressing frustration over the lack of a method to confirm whether his treatments were successfully reaching the phloem, where bacteria colonize. After hearing this, I was surprised to learn that despite OTC‚ a widespread use to manage the disease, growers still face uncertainty about the effectiveness of their treatments due to the absence of reliable monitoring tools. This gap in detection methods inspired me to develop a practical solution that would allow growers to confirm OTC uptake, ensuring their treatments are both efficient and impactful.