An omics study of a novel Microsporidian symbiont of the Anopheles mosquito and its mechanism of action in blocking Plasmodium within the major malaria vectors

Objectives

The proposed research aims to the study Anopheles – microsporidia MB symbiosis and to determine how it can be usefully disseminated into mosquito populations to decrease their capacity to transmit malaria. The multi-faceted approach involves an in-depth characterization of microsporidia MB – host interactions on several levels. Investigating microsporidia MB transmission dynamics will enable to determine the potential strategies that could be used to spread this symbiont through anopheline populations. In addition, it will examine the relationship between transmission routes and the malaria transmission-blocking phenotype. It will also investigate the natural diversity of microsporidia MB strains from Anopheles mosquitoes across Africa, which will lay the foundation for the selection of ‘optimal’ strains for malaria transmission-blocking interventions.

This aim will be achieved through:

• investigating the dissemination of microsporidia MB
• investigating the maintenance of microsporidia MB transmission-blocking
• investigation of microsporidia MB strain diversity
• RNA sequencing and whole-genome sequencing of microsporidia MB, structural bioinformatics and proteomics study to investigate the interactions of Anopheles – Plasmodium – symbiont interactions.