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EducationMsc (Hons) Agricultural Entomology, 2007 BSc (Hons) Agricultural Entomology, 2005
Research titleOlfactory basis of host and mate identification in mosquitoes
Research statementThe most important group of biting insects is the mosquitoes. Their biting is a considerable nuisance in many parts of the world. More importantly, mosquitoes are carriers of a number of perilous diseases causing illness and death on a large scale to humans and livestock. Examples are malaria, yellow & dengue fever and human filariasis. The females of these species are anautogenous and thus require a blood meal for the completion of reproduction, and are guided primarily by chemosensory cues emanating from their hosts. Olfactory cues play a prominent role for insect’s survival and reproduction; in fact, insects exploit olfactory signals in their environment for finding e.g. an appropriate host, and a mating partner. Female mosquitoes require a vertebrate blood meal in order to complete their reproductive cycle and are guided primarily by chemosensory cues emanating from their hosts and are effective and efficient disease transmitting agent.
Olfactory information is detected by olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) housed in olfactory hairs, sensilla, on the surfaces of the olfactory organs of the mosquito, the antennae and the maxillary palps. Considering that ORNs housed in these sensilla respond to two of the most potent kairomone cues, CO2 and 1-octen-3-ol, this olfactory organ still contribute significantly in shaping the behavioral response of the mosquitoes. Behavioral studies, however, clearly show that mosquitoes respond differentially to these cues depending on their grade of anthropophilicity. A major focus of this project will be to link the observed differential behavioral responses of various mosquito species to the physiological responses of the ORNs on this olfactory organ, maxillary palp.
Current projects
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