Climate effects on malaria mosquito behaviour and neurophysiology

Anopheles gambiae s.s., a primary vector of malaria in sub-Saharan Africa, uses their sense of smell to locate resources, e.g. plants for sugar and vertebrates for blood. These odour-guided behaviours are dependent on the age and physiological status of the vector, as well as external signals. As a result of the Anthropocene, both the internal and external environment of the mosquito is predicted to change. In my project, I will investigate the mechanism by which the range of odour-mediated behaviours of Anopheles gambiae s.s. are affected by climatic change, over the course of the first gonotrophic cycle.

Doctoral researcher: Juliah Jacob (SLU)

Supervision: Dr Rickard Ignell (SLU), Dr Sharon Hill (SLU) and Dr Silke Sachse (MPI-CE)