Research Infrastructures for the control of vector-borne diseases

Deliverables

Websites, patent fillings, videos etc. (2)

TNA portal and tools for access to the repository

The Infravec2 TNA Portal will provide access to the Infravec2 resources (i.e. the Infravec2 web based catalog of biological resources and services) The TNA portal will be designed as an e-shop for users, allowing potential users to make online enquiries about well characterized products and services.

The European CL2/CL3 insectary containment and design standards are published for comment

Defining common sustainable and implementable operation procedures for usage of CL2/CL3 facilities as a recognized model of quality control and assurance.

Documents, reports (16)

Manuscript: Minimum information necessary for the reproduction of infection studies (with WP2)

Poor reproducibility of scientific results is increasingly recognised as a problem in science, with the information provided within many published studies insufficient for replication, and this is a particular problem within insect infection studies due to the small size of the field and the additional constraints of differing national biosafety requirements. We will identify and publish guidelines on the minimum information which should be reported to allow artificial infection studies to be replicated in other laboratories, increasing the value of future infection studies.

List of new genetic editing tools

Gene docking lines using the CRISPR/Cas9 system will be made in Aedes mosquitoes to allow insertion and combination of multiple transgenes. The efficiency of CRISPR/Cas9 technology in Anopheles mosquitoes will be improved, and will be extended to additional important Anopheles vector species.

Operational Citizen Science tool to integrate public stakeholder knowledge

A standardized Citizen Science platform will be developed with a common informatics tool to facilitate collection and dissemination of scientific information across European partner countries. There will be a common organizational backbone that unifies initiatives within Europe.

Manuscript: Comparison of mosquito larval environments using standardized guidelines and kit

We will conduct and publish a pilot study describing the variation in natural vector larval populations to broaden awareness of differences between the ways larval environments are simulated in the laboratory against how they actually vary in the field.

Standard protocols and baselines: Leishmania-sand fly infections

Infection rates and infectivity of Leishmania amastigotes in the sand fly are optimised and standardised.

Standard protocols and baselines: Toscana virus-sand fly infections

Infection rates, dissemination and transmission of Toscana arboviruses in the sand flies are established and experimental baselines are standardised.

Technical and scientific advancements of TNA program including intermediate statistics on access

Data will be reported on the technical efficiency and other relevant technical and scientific parameters of the access provision.

List of new mosquito colonies adapted for insectary conditions

New mosquito colonies of major current and potential vectors of human diseases will be established from field collections. The colonies will be stably adapted to insectary conditions, will be listed as Infravec colonies, distributed to the community.

Protocols for alternative rearing/infection/incubation conditions

Conditions during experimental infection studies are a trade-off between reflecting field conditions and achieving adequate emergence, feeding and survival rates. We will develop and publish protocols for variant rearing, infection and incubation conditions and describe the resulting trade-off in emergence, feeding and survival to allow a broader range of field conditions to be consistently represented in laboratory studies, increasing the relevance of the results for field conditions.

Intermediate Report (from an external international board)

A report on the establishment and provision of access to the INFRAVEC2 virtual resources (grant years 1-2).A report on the establishment and provision of access to the INFRAVEC2 virtual resources (grant years 1-2).

Rules and procedures to implement the Transnational access

A set of guidelines for Supplier organizations will be established to establish the control systems for shipping vectors and derived products. This will include a catalogue and inventory control, sales order processing, account management and credit control, shipping documentation, regulatory compliance, material transfer agreements and customer support and after sales service.

Product development: Validation of individual assays for the ArboVec-Disk for species ID, insecticide resistance traits and pathogens/symbionts

We will develop novel diagnostics using low-cost platforms to allow the easier characterisation of cryptic species composition, insecticide resistance and coinfection status. By month 18 individual assays will have been shown to have the potential to affect the ability of vector insects to transmit pathogens and which are typically not reflected in artificial infection study design.

Standard protocols and baselines: Plasmodium-Anopheles infections

Infection rates and infectivity Plasmodium infection experiments in An. coluzzii Infravec2 lines are optimised and standardised by two independent laboratories.

Standard protocols and baselines: arbovirus-Aedes infections

Infection rates, dissemination and transmission of arbovirus infection experiments in the Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus Infravec2 lines are optimized and standardised by two independent laboratories.

Report on strengths, gaps and needs for reinforcement among emergence zone partners

The report will be based on questionnaires and interviews to identify strengths, gaps and needs among laboratories for their infrastructures and technical expertise on vectors and vector disease related topics. The report will identify partner sites that could serve as regional hubs for information dissemination, training activities, and point of contact in outbreak response.

Guidelines and criteria for assessing the suitability of candidate end users for receiving Vectors and Derived Products, and for physical access to facilities

The Modality of Access will be defined for selection of applications from end users on the basis of scientific excellence, innovation and impacts for the research community, but with priority to new users and users coming from EU countries where such infrastructure is not available. Procedures will be defined to publicize access calls to maximize transparency, fairness and impartiality.

Publications

Peer reviewed articles (38)

The Anopheles gambiae 2La chromosome inversion is associated with susceptibility to Plasmodium falciparum in Africa

Author(s): Michelle M Riehle, Tullu Bukhari, Awa Gneme, Wamdaogo M Guelbeogo, Boubacar Coulibaly, Abdrahamane Fofana, Adrien Pain, Emmanuel Bischoff, Francois Renaud, Abdoul H Beavogui, Sekou F Traore, N’Fale Sagnon, Kenneth D Vernick
Published in: eLife, Issue 6, 2017, ISSN 2050-084X
DOI: 10.7554/eLife.25813

Preferential suppression of Anopheles gambiae host sequences allows detection of the mosquito eukaryotic microbiome

Author(s): Eugeni Belda, Boubacar Coulibaly, Abdrahamane Fofana, Abdoul H. Beavogui, Sekou F. Traore, Daryl M. Gohl, Kenneth D. Vernick, Michelle M. Riehle
Published in: Scientific Reports, Issue 7/1, 2017, ISSN 2045-2322
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-03487-1

Repurposing isoxazoline veterinary drugs for control of vector-borne human diseases

Author(s): Marie Miglianico, Maarten Eldering, Hannah Slater, Neil Ferguson, Pauline Ambrose, Rosemary S. Lees, Karin M. J. Koolen, Katerina Pruzinova, Magdalena Jancarova, Petr Volf, Constantianus J. M. Koenraadt, Hans-Peter Duerr, Graham Trevitt, Baiyuan Yang, Arnab K. Chatterjee, John Wisler, Angelika Sturm, Teun Bousema, Robert W. Sauerwein, Peter G. Schultz, Matthew S. Tremblay, Koen J. Dechering
Published in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Issue 115/29, 2018, Page(s) E6920-E6926, ISSN 0027-8424
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1801338115

West Nile virus and other mosquito-borne viruses present in Eastern Europe

Author(s): Sebastián Napp, Dusan Petrić, Núria Busquets
Published in: Pathogens and Global Health, 2018, Page(s) 1-16, ISSN 2047-7724
DOI: 10.1080/20477724.2018.1483567

Combining Wolbachia-induced sterility and virus protection to fight Aedes albopictus-borne viruses

Author(s): Riccardo Moretti, Pei-Shi Yen, Vincent Houé, Elena Lampazzi, Angiola Desiderio, Anna-Bella Failloux, Maurizio Calvitti
Published in: PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, Issue 12/7, 2018, Page(s) e0006626, ISSN 1935-2735
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0006626

Insect cuticle: a critical determinant of insecticide resistance

Author(s): Vasileia Balabanidou, Linda Grigoraki, John Vontas
Published in: Current Opinion in Insect Science, Issue 27, 2018, Page(s) 68-74, ISSN 2214-5745
DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2018.03.001

Striking diflubenzuron resistance in Culex pipiens, the prime vector of West Nile Virus

Author(s): Linda Grigoraki, Arianna Puggioli, Konstantinos Mavridis, Vassilis Douris, Mario Montanari, Romeo Bellini, John Vontas
Published in: Scientific Reports, Issue 7/1, 2017, ISSN 2045-2322
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-12103-1

Contributions of cuticle permeability and enzyme detoxification to pyrethroid resistance in the major malaria vector Anopheles gambiae

Author(s): Gildas A. Yahouédo, Fabrice Chandre, Marie Rossignol, Carole Ginibre, Vasileia Balabanidou, Natacha Garcia Albeniz Mendez, Olivier Pigeon, John Vontas, Sylvie Cornelie
Published in: Scientific Reports, Issue 7/1, 2017, ISSN 2045-2322
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-11357-z

Advancing vector biology research: a community survey for future directions, research applications and infrastructure requirements

Author(s): Alain Kohl, Emilie Pondeville, Esther Schnettler, Andrea Crisanti, Clelia Supparo, George K. Christophides, Paul J. Kersey, Gareth L. Maslen, Willem Takken, Constantianus J. M. Koenraadt, Clelia F. Oliva, Núria Busquets, F. Xavier Abad, Anna-Bella Failloux, Elena A. Levashina, Anthony J. Wilson, Eva Veronesi, Maëlle Pichard, Sarah Arnaud Marsh, Frédéric Simard, Kenneth D. Vernick
Published in: Pathogens and Global Health, Issue 110/4-5, 2016, Page(s) 164-172, ISSN 2047-7724
DOI: 10.1080/20477724.2016.1211475

Ensembl Genomes 2018: an integrated omics infrastructure for non-vertebrate species

Author(s): Paul Julian Kersey, James E Allen, Alexis Allot, Matthieu Barba, Sanjay Boddu, Bruce J Bolt, Denise Carvalho-Silva, Mikkel Christensen, Paul Davis, Christoph Grabmueller, Navin Kumar, Zicheng Liu, Thomas Maurel, Ben Moore, Mark D McDowall, Uma Maheswari, Guy Naamati, Victoria Newman, Chuang Kee Ong, Michael Paulini, Helder Pedro, Emily Perry, Matthew Russell, Helen Sparrow, Electra Tapanari, Kiero
Published in: Nucleic Acids Research, Issue 46/D1, 2017, Page(s) D802-D808, ISSN 0305-1048
DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkx1011

A Systematic Review of the Natural Virome of Anopheles Mosquitoes

Author(s): Ferdinand Nanfack Minkeu, Kenneth Vernick
Published in: Viruses, Issue 10/5, 2018, Page(s) 222, ISSN 1999-4915
DOI: 10.3390/v10050222

Highly focused transcriptional response of Anopheles coluzzii to O’nyong nyong arbovirus during the primary midgut infection

Author(s): Guillaume Carissimo, Adrien Pain, Eugeni Belda, Kenneth D. Vernick
Published in: BMC Genomics, Issue 19/1, 2018, ISSN 1471-2164
DOI: 10.1186/s12864-018-4918-0

Experimental infection of Phlebotomus perniciosus and Phlebotomus tobbi with different Leishmania tropica strains

Author(s): Slavica Vaselek, Petr Volf
Published in: International Journal for Parasitology, 2019, ISSN 0020-7519
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2019.05.009

Experimental Infection of Sand Flies by Massilia Virus and Viral Transmission by Co-Feeding on Sugar Meal

Author(s): Magdalena Jancarova, Laurence Bichaud, Jana Hlavacova, Stephane Priet, Nazli Ayhan, Tatiana Spitzova, Petr Volf, Remi Charrel
Published in: Viruses, Issue 11/4, 2019, Page(s) 332, ISSN 1999-4915
DOI: 10.3390/v11040332

Longitudinal monitoring of anti‐saliva antibodies as markers of repellent efficacy against Phlebotomus perniciosus and Phlebotomus papatasi in dogs

Author(s): J. Risueño, T. Spitzová, L. J. Bernal, C. Muñoz, M. C. López, M. C. Thomas, J. J. Infante, P. Volf, E. Berriatua
Published in: Medical and Veterinary Entomology, Issue 33/1, 2018, Page(s) 99-109, ISSN 0269-283X
DOI: 10.1111/mve.12343

Dual role of the Anopheles coluzzii Venus Kinase Receptor in both larval growth and immunity

Author(s): Nadège Gouignard, Floriane Cherrier, Emma Brito-Fravallo, Adrien Pain, Natalia Marta Zmarlak, Katia Cailliau, Corinne Genève, Kenneth D. Vernick, Colette Dissous, Christian Mitri
Published in: Scientific Reports, Issue 9/1, 2019, ISSN 2045-2322
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-40407-x

Comparative Study of Promastigote- and Amastigote-Initiated Infection of Leishmania infantum (Kinetoplastida: Trypanosomatidae) in Phlebotomus perniciosus (Diptera: Psychodidae) Conducted in Different Biosafety Level Laboratories

Author(s): Slavica Vaselek, Jorian Prudhomme, Jitka Myskova, Tereza Lestinova, Tatiana Spitzova, Anne-Laure Bañuls, Petr Volf
Published in: Journal of Medical Entomology, 2019, ISSN 0022-2585
DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjz199

Two functionally distinct CYP4G genes of Anopheles gambiae contribute to cuticular hydrocarbon biosynthesis

Author(s): Mary Kefi, Vasileia Balabanidou, Vassilis Douris, Gareth Lycett, René Feyereisen, John Vontas
Published in: Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Issue 110, 2019, Page(s) 52-59, ISSN 0965-1748
DOI: 10.1016/j.ibmb.2019.04.018

Reproducibility and relevance in insect-arbovirus infection studies

Author(s): Anthony James Wilson, Lara Ellen Harrup
Published in: Current Opinion in Insect Science, Issue 28, 2018, Page(s) 105-112, ISSN 2214-5745
DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2018.05.007

Status of Insecticide Resistance and Its Mechanisms in Anopheles gambiae and Anopheles coluzzii Populations from Forest Settings in South Cameroon

Author(s): Roland Bamou, Nadège Sonhafouo-Chiana, Konstantinos Mavridis, Timoléon Tchuinkam, Charles S. Wondji, John Vontas, Christophe Antonio-Nkondjio
Published in: Genes, Issue 10/10, 2019, Page(s) 741, ISSN 2073-4425
DOI: 10.3390/genes10100741

Mosquitoes cloak their legs to resist insecticides

Author(s): Vasileia Balabanidou, Mary Kefi, Michalis Aivaliotis, Venetia Koidou, Juan R. Girotti, Sergio J. Mijailovsky, M. Patricia Juárez, Eva Papadogiorgaki, George Chalepakis, Anastasia Kampouraki, Christoforos Nikolaou, Hilary Ranson, John Vontas
Published in: Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, Issue 286/1907, 2019, Page(s) 20191091, ISSN 0962-8452
DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.1091

Ensembl Genomes 2020—enabling non-vertebrate genomic research

Author(s): Kevin L Howe, Bruno Contreras-Moreira, Nishadi De Silva, Gareth Maslen, Wasiu Akanni, James Allen, Jorge Alvarez-Jarreta, Matthieu Barba, Dan M Bolser, Lahcen Cambell, Manuel Carbajo, Marc Chakiachvili, Mikkel Christensen, Carla Cummins, Alayne Cuzick, Paul Davis, Silvie Fexova, Astrid Gall, Nancy George, Laurent Gil, Parul Gupta, Kim E Hammond-Kosack, Erin Haskell, Sarah E Hunt, Pankaj Jaiswal,
Published in: Nucleic Acids Research, Issue 48/D1, 2019, Page(s) D689-D695, ISSN 0305-1048
DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkz890

Zika virus threshold determines transmission by European Aedes albopictus mosquitoes

Author(s): Marie Vazeille, Yoann Madec, Laurence Mousson, Rachel Bellone, Hélène Barré-Cardi, Carla Alexandra Sousa, Davy Jiolle, André Yébakima, Xavier de Lamballerie, Anna-Bella Failloux
Published in: Emerging Microbes & Infections, Issue 8/1, 2019, Page(s) 1668-1678, ISSN 2222-1751
DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2019.1689797

Estimating the risk of arbovirus transmission in Southern Europe using vector competence data

Author(s): Marina Mariconti, Thomas Obadia, Laurence Mousson, Anna Malacrida, Giuliano Gasperi, Anna-Bella Failloux, Pei-Shi Yen
Published in: Scientific Reports, Issue 9/1, 2019, ISSN 2045-2322
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-54395-5

De novo profiling of RNA viruses in Anopheles malaria vector mosquitoes from forest ecological zones in Senegal and Cambodia

Author(s): Eugeni Belda, Ferdinand Nanfack-Minkeu, Karin Eiglmeier, Guillaume Carissimo, Inge Holm, Mawlouth Diallo, Diawo Diallo, Amélie Vantaux, Saorin Kim, Igor V. Sharakhov, Kenneth D. Vernick
Published in: BMC Genomics, Issue 20/1, 2019, ISSN 1471-2164
DOI: 10.1186/s12864-019-6034-1

Interaction of RNA viruses of the natural virome with the African malaria vector, Anopheles coluzzii

Author(s): Ferdinand Nanfack-Minkeu, Christian Mitri, Emmanuel Bischoff, Eugeni Belda, Isabelle Casademont, Kenneth D. Vernick
Published in: Scientific Reports, Issue 9/1, 2019, ISSN 2045-2322
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-42825-3

Chronophilia; or, Biding Time in a Solar System

Author(s): Marcus Hall
Published in: Environmental Humanities, Issue 11/2, 2019, Page(s) 373-401, ISSN 2201-1919
DOI: 10.1215/22011919-7754523

Subgenomic flavivirus RNA binds the mosquito DEAD/H-box helicase ME31B and determines Zika virus transmission by Aedes aegypti

Author(s): Giel P. Göertz, Joyce W. M. van Bree, Anwar Hiralal, Bas M. Fernhout, Carmen Steffens, Sjef Boeren, Tessa M. Visser, Chantal B. F. Vogels, Sandra R. Abbo, Jelke J. Fros, Constantianus J. M. Koenraadt, Monique M. van Oers, Gorben P. Pijlman
Published in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Issue 116/38, 2019, Page(s) 19136-19144, ISSN 0027-8424
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1905617116

A receptor for the complement regulator factor H increases transmission of trypanosomes to tsetse flies

Author(s): Olivia J. S. Macleod, Jean-Mathieu Bart, Paula MacGregor, Lori Peacock, Nicholas J. Savill, Svenja Hester, Sophie Ravel, Jack D. Sunter, Camilla Trevor, Steven Rust, Tristan J. Vaughan, Ralph Minter, Shabaz Mohammed, Wendy Gibson, Martin C. Taylor, Matthew K. Higgins, Mark Carrington
Published in: Nature Communications, Issue 11/1, 2020, ISSN 2041-1723
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-15125-y

Broader Geographical Distribution of Toscana Virus in the Mediterranean Region Suggests the Existence of Larger Varieties of Sand Fly Vectors

Author(s): Nazli Ayhan, Jorian Prudhomme, Lison Laroche, Anne-Laure Bañuls, Remi N. Charrel
Published in: Microorganisms, Issue 8/1, 2020, Page(s) 114, ISSN 2076-2607
DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms8010114

Development of a Reverse Genetics System for Toscana Virus (Lineage A)

Author(s): Akira J. T. Alexander, Marie-Pierre Confort, Sophie Desloire, James I. Dunlop, Srikeerthana Kuchi, Vattipally B. Sreenu, Daniel Mair, Gavin S. Wilkie, Ana Da Silva Filipe, Benjamin Brennan, Maxime Ratinier, Frédérick Arnaud, Alain Kohl
Published in: Viruses, Issue 12/4, 2020, Page(s) 411, ISSN 1999-4915
DOI: 10.3390/v12040411

In for the kill: novel biosecurity approaches for invasive and medically important mosquito species

Author(s): Ross Cuthbert, Eoghan Cunningham, Kate Crane, Jaimie Dick, Amanda Callaghan, Neil Coughlan
Published in: Management of Biological Invasions, Issue 11/1, 2020, Page(s) 9-25, ISSN 1989-8649
DOI: 10.3391/mbi.2020.11.1.02

A novel metric reveals biotic resistance potential and informs predictions of invasion success

Author(s): Ross N. Cuthbert, Amanda Callaghan, Jaimie T. A. Dick
Published in: Scientific Reports, Issue 9/1, 2019, ISSN 2045-2322
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-51705-9

Leucine-Rich Immune Factor APL1 Is Associated With Specific Modulation of Enteric Microbiome Taxa in the Asian Malaria Mosquito Anopheles stephensi

Author(s): Christian Mitri, Emmanuel Bischoff, Eugeni Belda Cuesta, Stevenn Volant, Amine Ghozlane, Karin Eiglmeier, Inge Holm, Constentin Dieme, Emma Brito-Fravallo, Wamdaogo M. Guelbeogo, N’Fale Sagnon, Michelle M. Riehle, Kenneth D. Vernick
Published in: Frontiers in Microbiology, Issue 11, 2020, ISSN 1664-302X
DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.00306

Exposure of Anopheles mosquitoes to trypanosomes reduces reproductive fitness and enhances susceptibility to Plasmodium

Author(s): Constentin Dieme, Natalia Marta Zmarlak, Emma Brito-Fravallo, Christelle Travaillé, Adrien Pain, Floriane Cherrier, Corinne Genève, Estefanía Calvo-Alvarez, Michelle M. Riehle, Kenneth D. Vernick, Brice Rotureau, Christian Mitri
Published in: PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, Issue 14/2, 2020, Page(s) e0008059, ISSN 1935-2735
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0008059

Influence of genetic polymorphism on transcriptional enhancer activity in the malaria vector Anopheles coluzzii

Author(s): Luisa Nardini, Inge Holm, Adrien Pain, Emmanuel Bischoff, Daryl M. Gohl, Soumanaba Zongo, Wamdaogo M. Guelbeogo, N’Fale Sagnon, Kenneth D. Vernick, Michelle M. Riehle
Published in: Scientific Reports, Issue 9/1, 2019, ISSN 2045-2322
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-51730-8

Gene copy number and function of the APL1 immune factor changed during Anopheles evolution

Author(s): Christian Mitri, Emmanuel Bischoff, Karin Eiglmeier, Inge Holm, Constentin Dieme, Emma Brito-Fravallo, Abbasali Raz, Sedigheh Zakeri, Mahdokht I. K. Nejad, Navid D. Djadid, Kenneth D. Vernick, Michelle M. Riehle
Published in: Parasites & Vectors, Issue 13/1, 2020, ISSN 1756-3305
DOI: 10.1186/s13071-019-3868-y

Infravec2: expanding researcher access to insect vector tools and resources

Author(s): Kenneth D. Vernick
Published in: Pathogens and Global Health, 2017, Page(s) 1-2, ISSN 2047-7724
DOI: 10.1080/20477724.2017.1347079

Other (1)

A litmus test for harmonized mosquito monitoring across Europe and Africa

Author(s): Ignazio Graziosi, Carles Aranda, Fabrizio Balestrino, Romeo Bellini, Núria Busquets, Mammadou Coulibaly, Andrea Crisanti, Diawo Diallo, Mawlouth Diallo, Alioune Gaye, Moussa Guelbeogo, Aleksandra Ignjatović-Ćupina, Sebastián Napp, Sagnon N’Falé, Dušan Petrić, Paola Pollegioni, Alekos Simoni, Marija Zgomba, Ruth Müller
Published in: Biorxiv, 2020
DOI: 10.1101/2020.01.30.927020