Description du projet
Des drones pour aider à propager des moustiques stériles
Les températures moyennes s’envolent sur la planète, ce qui implique que les populations de moustiques sont en augmentation. Le pire étant que ces insectes assoiffés de sang transmettent des maladies comme le virus Zika et la fièvre rouge. En recherche de solutions respectueuses de l’environnement pour combattre les invasions d’insectes, les chercheurs améliorent la «technique des insectes stériles» qui implique l’élevage massif d’insectes mâles, leur stérilisation par rayonnement et leur dissémination, afin qu’ils concurrencent leurs homologues sauvages et non stériles pour se reproduire. Le projet MOSQUAREL, financé par l’UE, s’appuiera sur cette technique. Étant donné qu’il n’existe actuellement aucune méthode de dissémination aérienne des mâles stériles, il développera des drones de dissémination de moustiques. Ces drones seront testés en Espagne et en France, comme première étape vers la commercialisation.
Objectif
MOSQUAREL (Aerial Release of Mosquitoes)
The REVOLINC project (ERC Consolidator grant no. 682387) aims at developing environmentally-friendly alternatives to fight insects invasions through the development of biological technologies to control three types of pest insects (mosquitoes, tsetse flies and Mediterranean fruit flies), two of which are presently invading Europe. We want to improve the « sterile insect technique » which consists in mass rearing male insects, sterilizing them by radiation and releasing them into the environment, where they compete with their wild, non-sterile counterparts to reproduce. The « boosted sterile insect technique » consists in ensuring that the males also transmit biopesticides to the females that kill them or their progeny. It is mandatory to develop alternative methods to insecticides that raise concern for their toxicity for health and environment, particularly against mosquito vectors in the context of Zika virus epidemics.
The proposed technology necessitates the release of sterile males, preferably by air. There is presently no aerial system to release mosquitoes which are all released by ground using obsolete methods (cages open at the back of a vehicle…).
In the proposed PoC, we want to (1) initiate collaboration with a private company to produce two versions of mosquito releasing drones compliant with EU regulations (C1 and C2 classes), (2) confirm the efficiency of these systems to release sterile male Aedes albopictus in three sites (La Réunion island and Montpellier in France and Valencia in Spain) and (3) start the commercialization process for these drones.
The system will become available for other mosquito control technologies involving the release of mosquitoes transfected with symbionts blocking virus transmission or transgenic mosquitoes.
Champ scientifique
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesmicrobiologyvirology
- agricultural sciencesagriculture, forestry, and fisheriesagriculturehorticulturefruit growing
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringroboticsautonomous robotsdrones
- natural sciencesbiological scienceszoologyentomology
- natural sciencesbiological scienceszoologyinvertebrate zoology
Programme(s)
Régime de financement
ERC-POC-LS - ERC Proof of Concept Lump Sum PilotInstitution d’accueil
75016 Paris
France