Ecological Adaptations of Malaria Mosquitoes
PI(s): Sharakhov, Igor V
Investigators: Ogundeyi, Omotara, Mullins, Donald E, Sharakhova, Maria, Xia, Ai
Abstract: The mosquito’s ability to adapt ecologically can significantly increase malaria transmission because it allows mosquitoes to occupy larger geographic regions and even human dwellings.
Description: Differential adaptations of mosquitoes to various environments are often associated with dramatic changes in the composition and frequency of chromosomal variations—polymorphic inversions. With recent advances in genomics, excellent opportunities exist to uncover direct causal links between polymorphic chromosomal inversions and epidemiologically important adaptations. The long-term goal of this research is to understand how chromosomal inversions affect the mosquito’s ecological adaptations and to use this knowledge to control mosquitoes.
Commodities:
Resources: Physiology Laboratories, Fralin Insectary
Disciplines: Ecology, Genetics
Audiences:
