Sears, Vicki P.2018-01-302018-01-302018-01-29vt_gsexam:13772http://hdl.handle.net/10919/81964vegetable crops. Micro-Tom is a model tomato cultivar used for research due to its small size and short time to fruiting. This project evaluated I. walleriana and Micro-Tom transformed with Agrobacterium. The construct contained GFP (green fluorescent protein) and hygromycin antibiotic-resistant selectable markers, and the antisense sequence of open reading frame of INSV nucleocapsid protein (N). The N gene is expected to confer INSV resistance by RNA interference or gene silencing. The presence of transgenes was confirmed by PCR. Transgenic Impatiens was selfed for two generations. Transgenic Micro-Tom was selfed for 4 generations. Spinach was used as an INSV reservoir. Impatiens, spinach and Micro-Tom were mechanically inoculated with INSV and evaluated visually, with assay tests, ELISA testing, and PCR. Spinach was successfully infected with INSV six times of seven attempts. Impatiens and Micro-Tom had no successful inoculations of three and five attempts, respectively.ETDIn CopyrightImpatiens wallerianaImpatiens Necrotic Spot VirusINSVSolanum lycopersicumMicro-TomSpinacia oleraceaSpinachOrthotospovirusTospoviridaeFrankliniella occidentalisWestern Flower ThripstransformationPCRThesis