EXPLORING THE EVOLUTION AND PHYSIOLOGY OF THE OLFACTORY-IMMUNE SYSTEM CONNECTION

HFSP has recently announced funding for the project ‘EXPLORING THE EVOLUTION AND PHYSIOLOGY OF THE OLFACTORY-IMMUNE SYSTEM CONNECTION’. This project is a collaboration between Dr. João TRINDADE MARQUES (U1257/UPR9022 at IBMC, UNISTRA, France), Dr. Tina MUKHERJEE (Institute for Stem cell science and Regenerative Medicine, India), Dr. Ben MATTHEWS (University of British Columbia, Canada) and Dr. Mario RECKER (University of Exeter, UK).

This proposed research would be to address whether anthropophilia and increased vector competence are linked in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. It would also be the first to investigate whether anthropophilia, human development, and disease emergence and spread are intrinsically linked.

This would fill a major knowledge gap regarding the impact of environmental odor sensing that goes beyond behavior, with important implications both for our understanding of the ecological epidemiology of many vector-borne diseases as well as for the development of novel odorant-based vector control methods.