Mosquito Biology and Control

Human malaria is spread from an infected person to another by the bite of a mosquito. In order to find better ways to protect humans from infectious mosquito bites we study the physiology, behaviour and ecology of mosquitoes.

Field studies inform us about the composition of a mosquito population and whether there is a risk of disease transmission. Field surveys also show us how effective implemented control measures are. We also use experimental approaches both in the laboratory and in the field with the aim to better understand how malaria mosquitoes acquire, process and respond to information from their environment and how control tools impact upon them. Moreover, we study how insecticide resistance and other traits depend on environmental and genetic factors.

We use a series of technologies including bioassays, molecular tools, infrared video tracking, field trapping methods, biostatistics and mathematical modelling. We also develop and evaluate new tools for the surveillance and control of mosquitoes and test public health pesticide products to generate data needed for decision making on their recommendation for public health use.