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Supreme Court to decide landmark Texas, Florida social media cases and more

Source: The Washington Post

By Ann E. Marimow and Cat Zakrzewski

Updated September 29, 2023 at 10:31 a.m. EDT|Published September 29, 2023 at 9:39 a.m. EDT

The Supreme Court said Friday it would wade into the future of free speech online and decide whether laws passed in Texas and Florida can restrict social media companies from removing certain political posts or accounts.

The justices’ decision to take the landmark social media cases came in an order that also added 10 other cases to the calendar for the Supreme Court term that begins Monday. Earlier, the high court had said it would tackle controversial issues involving gun regulations, voting rights and the power of federal agencies. Those cases will be heard as the justices face intense pressure from Democratic lawmakers to address ethics issues confronting some of their colleagues, including potential conflicts in some of the cases.

Tech industry groups, whose members include Facebook and Google’s YouTube, asked the court to block Texas and Florida laws passed in 2021 that regulate companies’ content-moderation policies. The companies say the measures are unconstitutional and conflict with the First Amendment by stripping private companies of the right to choose what to publish on their platforms.

The court’s review of those laws will be the highest-profile examination to date of allegations that Silicon Valley companies are illegally censoring conservative viewpoints. Those accusations reached a fever pitch when Facebook, Twitter and other companies suspended President Donald Trump’s accounts in the wake of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

attack on the U.S. Capitol.

The justices’ ruling could have significant implications for the future of democracy and elections, as Americans increasingly rely on social media to read and discuss political news. It could also have wide-ranging effects for policymakers in Congress and statehouses around the country as they attempt to craft new laws governing social media and misinformation.

As Congress has remained deadlocked on those issues, states are playing a larger role in governing digital privacy, artificial intelligence and social media. Democrats largely have argued that the companies are not doing enough to root out hate speech and other harmful content online, and they have passed laws in California and New York to force greater transparency of the companies’ rules and decisions.

Appeals court judges, all nominated by Republican presidents, have issued conflicting rulings on state authority to restrict a business’s ability to select, edit and arrange content that appears on its social media platform.

The Biden administration urged the Supreme Court to take the social media case and to prevent the Texas and Florida laws from taking effect.

“The act of culling and curating the content that users see is inherently expressive, even if the speech that is collected is almost wholly provided by users,” Solicitor General Elizabeth B. Prelogar told the justices.

“And especially because the covered platforms’ only products are displays of expressive content, a government requirement that they display different content — for example, by including content they wish to exclude or organizing content in a different way — plainly implicates the First Amendment.”

The First Amendment generally protects against government infringement on speech. Courts have also held that private companies, including newspapers and broadcasters, have the right to control the speech they publish and disseminate. That includes the right of editors not to publish something they don’t want to publish.

The Texas law, signed by Gov. Greg Abbott (R), allows state residents and the attorney general to sue large social media companies if they believe they were unfairly banned or censored from a platform. A similar Florida law would penalize social media companies for blocking a politician’s posts.

Last spring, in a 5-4 vote, the Supreme Court prevented the Texas law from taking effect while the litigation continues.

“Social media platforms have transformed the way people communicate with each other and obtain news,” Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. wrote in a dissent, joined by fellow conservatives, Justices Clarence Thomas and Neil M. Gorsuch. “At issue is a ground-breaking Texas law that addresses the power of dominant social media corporations to shape public discussion of the important issues of the day.”

Alito added: “It is not at all obvious how our existing precedents, which predate the age of the internet, should apply to large social media companies.”

Liberal justice Elena Kagan also dissented, but did not provide an explanation.

Tech trade groups Netchoice and the Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA) argue that if the laws take effect, they could have made it legally risky for tech companies to remove violent, hateful or indecent content. But leaving the content online could lead to user and advertiser boycotts of the services, the companies say.

The CCIA, which represents Meta, X and Google, called the order “encouraging” in a statement. “It is high time that the Supreme Court resolves whether governments can force websites to publish dangerous content,” said CCIA president Matt Schruers. “Telling private websites they must give equal treatment to extremist hate isn’t just unwise, it is unconstitutional, and we look forward to demonstrating that to the Court.”

In its order Friday, the justices agreed to hear 10 other cases, including a challenge to the FBI’s “no-fly” list that the government maintains to prevent terrorism suspects from boarding airplanes. The Biden administration asked the court to reverse a ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit that said an Oregon man’s challenge to his placement on the list could proceed even though the government had removed him seven years ago and had submitted a sworn declaration stating that he “will not be placed on the No Fly List in the future based on the currently available information.”

#freespeechonline #socialmedianews #ussupremecourt

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/09/29/supreme-court-social-media-florida-texas-google-facebook/

MARCH 07, 2021

Executive Order on Promoting Access to Voting

The White House

BRIEFING ROOM

PRESIDENTIAL ACTIONS

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered as follows:
Section 1. Purpose. The right to vote is the foundation of American democracy. Free and fair elections that reflect the will of the American people must be protected and defended. But many Americans, especially people of color, confront significant obstacles to exercising that fundamental right. These obstacles include difficulties with voter registration, lack of election information, and barriers to access at polling places. For generations, Black voters and other voters of color have faced discriminatory policies and other obstacles that disproportionally affect their communities. These voters remain more likely to face long lines at the polls and are disproportionately burdened by voter identification laws and limited opportunities to vote by mail. Limited access to language assistance remains a barrier for many voters. People with disabilities continue to face barriers to voting and are denied legally required accommodations in exercising their fundamental rights and the ability to vote privately and independently. Members of our military serving overseas, as well as other American citizens living abroad, also face challenges to exercising their fundamental right to vote.
The Constitution and laws of the United States prohibit racial discrimination and protect the right to vote. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 and other Federal statutes implement those protections and assign the Federal Government a key role in remedying disenfranchisement and unequal access to the polls. In passing the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, the Congress found that it is the duty of Federal, State, and local governments to promote the exercise of the fundamental right to vote. Executive departments and agencies (agencies) should partner with State, local, Tribal, and territorial election officials to protect and promote the exercise of the right to vote, eliminate discrimination and other barriers to voting, and expand access to voter registration and accurate election information. It is our duty to ensure that registering to vote and the act of voting be made simple and easy for all those eligible to do so.
Sec. 2. Policy. It is the policy of my Administration to promote and defend the right to vote for all Americans who are legally entitled to participate in elections. It is the responsibility of the Federal Government to expand access to, and education about, voter registration and election information, and to combat misinformation, in order to enable all eligible Americans to participate in our democracy.
Sec. 3. Expanding Access to Voter Registration and Election Information. Agencies shall consider ways to expand citizens’ opportunities to register to vote and to obtain information about, and participate in, the electoral process.
(a) The head of each agency shall evaluate ways in which the agency can, as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, promote voter registration and voter participation. This effort shall include consideration of:
(i) ways to provide relevant information in the course of activities or services that directly engage with the public — including through agency materials, websites, online forms, social media platforms, and other points of public access — about how to register to vote, how to request a vote-by-mail ballot, and how to cast a ballot in upcoming elections;
(ii) ways to facilitate seamless transition from agencies’ websites directly to State online voter registration systems or appropriate Federal websites, such as Vote.gov;
(iii) ways to provide access to voter registration services and vote-by-mail ballot applications in the course of activities or services that directly engage with the public, including:
(A) distributing voter registration and vote-by-mail ballot application forms, and providing access to applicable State online systems for individuals who can take advantage of those systems;
(B) assisting applicants in completing voter registration and vote-by-mail ballot application forms in a manner consistent with all relevant State laws; and
(C) soliciting and facilitating approved, nonpartisan third-party organizations and State officials to provide voter registration services on agency premises;
(iv) ways to promote and expand access to multilingual voter registration and election information, and to promote equal participation in the electoral process for all eligible citizens of all backgrounds; and
(v) whether, consistent with applicable law, any identity documents issued by the agency to members of the public can be issued in a form that satisfies State voter identification laws.
(b) Within 200 days of the date of this order, the head of each agency shall submit to the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy a strategic plan outlining the ways identified under this review that the agency can promote voter registration and voter participation.
(c) The Administrator of the Office of Electronic Government, Office of Management and Budget, shall, consistent with applicable law, coordinate efforts across agencies to improve or modernize Federal websites and digital services that provide election and voting information to the American people, including ensuring that Federal websites are accessible to individuals with disabilities and people with limited English proficiency. As appropriate, the Administrator of the United States Digital Service may support agencies in implementing the strategic plans directed in subsection (b) of this section.
Sec. 4. Acceptance of Designation Under the National Voter Registration Act. (a) This order shall supersede section 3 of Executive Order 12926 of September 12, 1994 (Implementation of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993).
(b) Each agency, if requested by a State to be designated as a voter registration agency pursuant to section 7(a)(3)(B)(ii) of the National Voter Registration Act, shall, to the greatest extent practicable and consistent with applicable law, agree to such designation. If an agency declines to consent to such designation, the head of the agency shall submit to the President a written explanation for the decision.
(c) The head of each agency shall evaluate where and how the agency provides services that directly engage with the public and, to the greatest extent practicable, formally notify the States in which the agency provides such services that it would agree to designation as a voter registration agency pursuant to section 7(a)(3)(B)(ii) of the National Voter Registration Act.
Sec. 5. Modernizing Vote.gov. The General Services Administration (GSA) shall take steps to modernize and improve the user experience of Vote.gov. In determining how to do so, GSA shall coordinate with the Election Assistance Commission and other agencies as appropriate, and seek the input of affected stakeholders, including election administrators, civil rights and disability rights advocates, Tribal Nations, and nonprofit groups that study best practices for using technology to promote civic engagement.
(a) GSA’s efforts to modernize and improve Vote.gov shall include:
(i) ensuring that Vote.gov complies, at minimum, with sections 504 and 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973;
(ii) ensuring that Vote.gov is translated into languages spoken by any of the language groups covered under section 203 of the Voting Rights Act anywhere in the United States; and
(iii) implementing relevant provisions of the 21st Century Integrated Digital Experience Act (Public Law 115-336).
(b) Within 200 days of the date of this order, GSA shall submit to the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy a strategic plan outlining the steps to modernize and improve the user experience of Vote.gov.
Sec. 6. Increasing Opportunities for Employees to Vote. It is a priority of my Administration to ensure that the Federal Government, as the Nation’s largest employer, serves as a model employer by encouraging and facilitating Federal employees’ civic participation. Accordingly, the Director of the Office of Personnel Management shall take the following actions within 200 days of the date of this order:
(a) coordinate with the heads of executive agencies, as defined in 5 U.S.C. 105, to provide recommendations to the President, through the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy, on strategies to expand the Federal Government’s policy of granting employees time off to vote in Federal, State, local, Tribal, and territorial elections. Such recommendations should include efforts to ensure Federal employees have opportunities to participate in early voting.
(b) Coordinate with the heads of executive agencies, as defined in 5 U.S.C. 105, to provide recommendations to the President, through the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy, on strategies to better support Federal employees who wish to volunteer to serve as non-partisan poll workers or non‑partisan observers, particularly during early or extended voting periods.
Sec. 7. Ensuring Equal Access for Voters with Disabilities. Within 270 days of the date of this order, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) within the Department of Commerce shall evaluate the steps needed to ensure that the online Federal Voter Registration Form is accessible to people with disabilities. During that period, NIST, in consultation with the Department of Justice, the Election Assistance Commission, and other agencies, as appropriate, shall also an

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/03/07/executive-order-on-promoting-access-to-voting/

Biden Can Expand Voting Access Through His Executive Order

Source: ACLU

Ceridwen Cherry Former Staff Attorney, ACLU Voting Rights Project

March 7, 2023

Fifty-eight years ago on March 7, television viewers saw 500 peaceful demonstrators in Selma, Alabama, teargassed and beaten by police. The marchers were protesting the murder of a young, unarmed Black man and the continued disenfranchisement of Black people in the South.

The brutal, unprovoked attack sparked national outrage, became known as “Bloody Sunday,” and was a catalyst of the voting rights movement. This march led to the signing and passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 by Congress and President Lyndon B. Johnson.

On March 7, 2021 President Biden issued Executive Order 14019 Promoting Access to Voting, a visionary executive order that has the potential to make registration and voting more accessible for millions of Americans, including communities historically excluded from the political process. In the order, President Biden directed federal agencies to “consider ways to expand citizens’ opportunities to register to vote and to obtain information about, and participate in, the electoral process.”

In a democracy, governments at all levels should be doing everything they can to help eligible people register to vote.

In a democracy, governments at all levels should be doing everything they can to help eligible people register to vote. The voting access executive order is an important step toward achieving this goal because it gets the federal government involved in aiding with voter registration, just as state governments already do.

On the anniversary of Bloody Sunday and the two-year anniversary of this executive order, we acknowledge both that the administration and agencies have made progress, and that significant work remains. Building on its promising start, it’s time for the Biden administration and agencies to finish the job and fulfill the promise of the voting access executive order.

That’s why the ACLU, alongside a coalition of civil rights organizations, issued the report “Strengthening Democracy: A Progress Report on Federal Agency Action to Promote Access to Voting,” to highlight, at the agency level, what has been done and what is still needed to help ensure every eligible voter has robust, easy, and equal access to the ballot box.

On the anniversary of Bloody Sunday and the two-year anniversary of this executive order, we acknowledge both that the administration and agencies have made progress, and that significant work remains.

A few agencies have made noteworthy headway. For example, by accepting National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) designations for the tribal institutions it operates, the Department of the Interior has moved to ensure that eligible students who attend these institutions have regular access to high-quality voter registration. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has also begun working with state election officials to secure NVRA designations. And by incorporating voter registration into the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, the Treasury Department is helping to address persistent income-based gaps in voter registration by improving access to voter registration among people with low incomes.

However, most agencies have either made minimal progress on their initial strong commitments to expand voter access or have left important opportunities on the table. Our report highlights that most federal agencies have significant room for improvement in their implementation of the voting access executive order.

Here are a few examples of the most impactful actions agencies can take before the end of the year to implement the executive order:

1. The Department of Health and Human Services should add an effective voter registration opportunity to the application for benefits on HealthCare.gov by the next open enrollment period.

2. The VA should continue to work closely with election officials in Kentucky, Michigan, and Pennsylvania to finalize designation agreements under the NVRA to provide effective voter registration services to veterans who sign up for health care through the VA. Further, the VA should work to secure designations in additional states and follow through on its commitment to fully explore adding voter registration to its online benefits applications.

3. Indian Health Services should add a voter registration opportunity and assistance to patient interactions at Indian Health Services facilities.

4. The Department of Education should add a voter registration opportunity for applicants using the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

5. The Bureau of Prisons, the agency within the Department of Justice which oversees federal prison facilities, and the U.S. Marshals Service, which oversees people in federal pre-trial custody, amongst other activities, can also fully implement the executive order. While both agencies have made efforts to improve voter access for eligible voters who are currently incarcerated in federal prisons or held in federal pre-trial custody, there is still more that can be done to ensure full implementation of systems facilitating civic engagement and access to the ballot. You can read more about the steps they can take here.

Both President Biden and the agencies must act over the next several months to make the most of this important executive order. If they do not, the voting access order will be a lost opportunity.

Given the likely impasse in Congress with federal voting rights legislation, fulfilling the promise of this order is the best way the federal government can help increase access to registration and voting. Agencies must work now to implement the order, so that the various agency programs will be operational in time for citizens to register and participate in federal elections in 2024.

https://www.aclu.org/news/voting-rights/biden-can-expand-voting-access-through-his-executive-order

Tammany Hall 2.0: Biden Turns Federal Agencies Into Get-Out-the-Vote Operation

Apr 18, 2023

1. In March 2021, President Biden signed Executive Order 14019, aimed at turning federal agencies into a get-out-the-vote operation.

2. The details are sketchy since most federal agencies aren’t releasing their strategic plans to the media or watchdog groups.

3. Even Democrats should be leery of letting the federal government throw its weight around to improve the electoral prospects of the party in power.

The high voter turnout in the 2022 midterms smashed dire predictions from the left that election reforms, such as expanding voter ID requirements, would lead to “Jim Crow 2.0.”

But another type of “reform,” established by a 2021 presidential executive order, has yet to play out. If fully implemented in time for the 2024 elections, it may well lead to what should be called Tammany Hall 2.0.

Tammany Hall was the powerful Democratic political machine founded by Aaron Burr. It had a stranglehold on New York City politics until well into the 20th century. Similar organizations operated elsewhere: the Pendergast machine in Kansas City, the Daley machine in Chicago, the Long machine in Louisiana and the Curley machine in Boston, to name a few. But none had the raw political power or the national reach of Tammany Hall.

Big-city machines like Tammany Hall were notorious for twisting election laws. They used these tools to make it easier to win (or sometimes steal) elections, perpetuating one-party rule.

>>> American Elections Shouldn’t Be Bankrolled by Billionaires

The political machines of the past largely confined themselves to ruling state and local fiefdoms. But we’re about to see how it works at the federal level.

In March 2021, President Biden signed Executive Order 14019, aimed at turning federal agencies into a get-out-the-vote operation, and working with so far unnamed private organizations to do so. Don’t worry. The White House assures us this is nonpartisan.

“Agencies shall consider ways to expand citizens’ opportunities to register to vote and to obtain information about, and participate in, the electoral process,” the order says. “The head of each agency shall evaluate ways in which the agency can, as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, promote voter registration and voter participation.”

Democrats failed to pass a sweeping federal takeover of elections in 2021 and 2022 when they controlled Congress. They are relying heavily on this executive order to do the job for them.

The details are sketchy since most federal agencies aren’t releasing their strategic plans to the media or watchdog groups.

According to the White House summary of agency plans, the Department of Homeland Security is required to focus on voter registration “at the end of naturalization ceremonies for the hundreds of thousands of citizens naturalized each year.” The Department of Justice is directed to “provide information about voting to individuals in federal custody, facilitate voting by those who remain eligible to do so while in federal custody, and educate individuals before reentry about voting rules and voting rights in their states.”

This is perhaps nominally more subtle than when Tammany Hall worked to get prisoners released to ensure they voted and even established a “naturalization mill” to instantly turn immigrants coming off boats into voters. As The Washington Post explained, Tammany Hall bosses “ushered hundreds of thousands on the Lower East Side and elsewhere into citizenship” to register to vote and keep Democrats in power.

The White House also noted that the Department of Agriculture would work with mortgage lenders to provide voter registration information, the Department of Health and Human Services would connect people with voting information, tools and resources, while the Department of Housing and Urban Development would provide registration information.

The more things change …

>>> Forget Open Borders. This Crazy Law Opens Voting Booths to Aliens

As noted in my book “The Myth of Voter Suppression,” political machines such as Tammany Hall thrived in part because they were the social service network at the time. The political bosses helped arrange citizenship for immigrants, provided emergency assistance, and hooked people up with jobs—all with the expectation that these people would pay them back by voting their way.

While in the minority, House Republicans made multiple inquiries about how the presidential order was being implemented. They were largely stonewalled. Now that they have regained majority status, they are expected to investigate the matter vigorously.

Even Democrats should be leery of letting the federal government throw its weight around to improve the electoral prospects of the party in power. In politics, nothing lasts forever. Eventually, a Republican could retake the White House and look fondly upon Mr. Biden’s executive order. Will Democrats give a future GOP president the benefit of the doubt for being nonpartisan in having the agencies he runs involved in elections?

Tammany Hall 2.0 should be defined more broadly than just Mr. Biden’s order. It must include the various private actors—such as election litigator Marc Elias, the Stacey Abrams-founded Fair Fight Action and the Brennan Center for Justice—that vigorously work to block any legal mechanism to stop voter fraud. Key to this is not just the politicians, but also the interest groups pumping money and propaganda behind the machine.

This piece originally appeared in The Washington Times

https://www.heritage.org/election-integrity/commentary/tammany-hall-20-biden-turns-federal-agencies-get-out-the-vote

Crocodiles Seen Guiding Dog to Safety in India And Scientists Don't Know Why

NATURE

28 September 2023

By REBECCA COHEN AND JENNY MCGRATH, BUSINESS INSIDER

A dog running from a pack of feral dogs dove into an even more dangerous situation when it took a swim in a crocodile-infested river. Instead of turning the dog into a snack, the crocodiles appeared to usher it to safety.

Researchers published images of the event in the August edition of the Journal of Threatened Taxa. They were studying the behavior of mugger crocodiles in the Savitri River in Maharashtra, India.

"These crocodiles were actually touching the dog with their snout" the researchers reported in the study, writing that the crocodiles "seemingly nudged and escorted [the dog] to safety."

While it may be surprising that the reptiles didn't jump at the opportunity for a seemingly easy meal, Chris Murray, a biologist with Southeastern Louisiana University, told Insider there are many reasons why the crocodiles may have let the dog pass.

They may have been full or felt too exposed to ambush the prey. Or they might have had negative experiences trying to eat dogs in the past, he said.

"You see these cost-benefit analyses occur in nature all the time when it comes to the ecology of feeding," Murray said.

He doesn't think the animals were displaying empathy, as the researchers suggest.

Some areas of coastal India and Sri Lanka have large populations of mugger crocodiles living near people, leading to some of the highest frequencies of attacks on humans anywhere in the world, Murray said. "So I find the compassion of crocodilians highly unlikely."

But he does agree with the paper's authors that humans often underestimate crocodiles' cognition.

Murray knows of instances of crocodilians using sticks to lure birds to land on them and engaging in communal feeding, helping other members of a group get food. He's also seen crocodilians seem to learn from past experiences.

"I think some of those things are predominantly anecdotal, obviously, and I have some of those anecdotes for myself," Murray said. "So I think that their cognitive ability – of assessing what's around and their memory – is far better than I think we give them credit for," he said.

"They're not just mean, lumbering reptiles," he said. But they're likely not taking pity on dogs in distress, either.

https://www.sciencealert.com/crocodiles-seen-guiding-dog-to-safety-in-india-and-scientists-dont-know-why

Nanoparticles made from plant viruses could be farmers' new ally in pest control

Source: Phys Org

by University of California - San Diego

A new form of agricultural pest control could one day take root—one that treats crop infestations deep under the ground in a targeted manner with less pesticide.

Engineers at the University of California San Diego have developed nanoparticles, fashioned from plant viruses, that can deliver pesticide molecules to soil depths that were previously unreachable. This advance could potentially help farmers effectively combat parasitic nematodes that plague the root zones of crops, all while minimizing costs, pesticide use and environmental toxicity.

Controlling infestations caused by root-damaging nematodes has long been a challenge in agriculture. One reason is that the types of pesticides used against nematodes tend to cling to the top layers of soil, making it tough to reach the root level where nematodes wreak havoc. As a result, farmers often resort to applying excessive amounts of pesticide, as well as water to wash pesticides down to the root zone. This can lead to contamination of soil and groundwater.

To find a more sustainable and effective solution, a team led by Nicole Steinmetz, a professor of nanoengineering at the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering and founding director of the Center for Nano-ImmunoEngineering, developed plant virus nanoparticles that can transport pesticide molecules deep into the soil, precisely where they are needed. The work is detailed in a paper published in Nano Letters.

Steinmetz's team drew inspiration from nanomedicine, where nanoparticles are being created for targeted drug delivery, and adapted this concept to agriculture. This idea of repurposing and redesigning biological materials for different applications is also a focus area of the UC San Diego Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC), of which Steinmetz is a co-lead.

"We're developing a precision farming approach where we're creating nanoparticles for targeted pesticide delivery," said Steinmetz, who is the study's senior author. "This technology holds the promise of enhancing treatment effectiveness in the field without the need to increase pesticide dosage."

The star of this approach is the tobacco mild green mosaic virus, a plant virus that has the ability to move through soil with ease. Researchers modified these virus nanoparticles, rendering them noninfectious to crops by removing their RNA. They then mixed these nanoparticles with pesticide solutions in water and heated them, creating spherical virus-like nanoparticles packed with pesticides through a simple one-pot synthesis.

This one-pot synthesis offers several advantages. First, it is cost-effective, with just a few steps and a straightforward purification process. The result is a more scalable method, paving the way toward a more affordable product for farmers, noted Steinmetz. Second, by simply packaging the pesticide inside the nanoparticles, rather than chemically binding it to the surface, this method preserves the original chemical structure of the pesticide.

"If we had used a traditional synthetic method where we link the pesticide molecules to the nanoparticles, we would have essentially created a new compound, which will need to go through a whole new registration and regulatory approval process," said study first author Adam Caparco, a postdoctoral researcher in Steinmetz's lab.

"But since we're just encapsulating the pesticide within the nanoparticles, we're not changing the active ingredient, so we won't need to get new approval for it. That could help expedite the translation of this technology to the market."

Moreover, the tobacco mild green mosaic virus is already approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for use as an herbicide to control an invasive plant called the tropical soda apple. This existing approval could further streamline the path from lab to market.

The researchers conducted experiments in the lab to demonstrate the efficacy of their pesticide-packed nanoparticles. The nanoparticles were watered through columns of soil and successfully transported the pesticides to depths of at least 10 centimeters. The solutions were collected from the bottom of the soil columns and were found to contain the pesticide-packed nanoparticles. When the researchers treated nematodes with these solutions, they eliminated at least half of the population in a petri dish.

While the researchers have not yet tested the nanoparticles on nematodes lurking beneath the soil, they note that this study marks a significant step forward.

"Our technology enables pesticides meant to combat nematodes to be used in the soil," said Caparco. "These pesticides alone cannot penetrate the soil. But with our nanoparticles, they now have soil mobility, can reach the root level, and potentially kill the nematodes."

Future research will involve testing the nanoparticles on actual infested plants to assess their effectiveness in real-world agricultural scenarios. Steinmetz's lab will perform these follow-up studies in collaboration with the U.S. Horticultural Research Laboratory. Her team has also established plans for an industry partnership aimed at advancing the nanoparticles into a commercial product.

https://phys.org/news/2023-09-nanoparticles-viruses-farmers-ally-pest.amp#amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&aoh=16958245531441&csi=0&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com