Last Updated: 03/10/2025
Effects of temperature and microbiota composition of mosquitoes on the transmission of vector-borne pathogens
Objectives
The main goal of this project is to identify the role of temperature on mosquito microbiota and its impact on the transmission of avian pathogens, particularly avian malaria parasites (plasmodium) and West Nile virus.
The specific objectives are to:
- identify spatial and temporal variation in microbiota composition in two mosquito species that play different roles in the transmission of pathogens such as WNV, considering variations in ambient temperature;
- experimentally analyze the effect of temperature on the mosquito microbiota and its effects on mosquito survival rate, immune system, and parasite development; and
- identify the impact of these experimental treatments altering the temperature and microbiota composition of mosquitoes on the genetic response of these insects as a function of their age and exposure to pathogens by using transcriptomics techniques.
The incidence and spread of vector-borne diseases has increased in recent years due to global climate change. Mosquitoes are the main vectors of pathogens that affect people, livestock, and wildlife. Mosquito vector competition is affected by several factors that modulate the development and impact of parasitic infections in insects. Temperature, and its increase due to climate change, is considered an important modulator of mosquito biology, also affecting the composition of their microbiota and the development and burden of pathogens in their vectors. Furthermore, researchers are increasingly gaining information about the role of mosquito microbiota in stimulating the insect’s immune system and affecting its interactions with pathogens. The results of this project will represent a fundamental step forward in understanding the role of a component of global change, increasing temperature, and the composition of the mosquito microbiota in the transmission of pathogens by these vectors, including those that affect wildlife and can affect humans, such as the West Nile virus.
Jan 2023
$196,110
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