A shiny green beetle has transformed city streets and forests in parts of the United States. The emerald ash borer has been found in 59 counties of Minnesota and it has especially affected the southeast corner of the state.

The beetle depends on ash trees to survive and reproduce. It lays eggs into their bark. Then those eggs hatch into larvae that feed on the living tissue of the trees, eventually killing them. The larvae become beetles and fly off to other trees.

Scientists at the University of Minnesota have found several species of parasitic fungi that can interrupt this cycle by killing emerald ash borer.

Colin Peters is a Ph.D. candidate and lead author of a recent study about using these fungi to protect ash trees. He joined MPR News host Nina Moini to talk about his research and what it could mean for Minnesota’s one billion ash trees.