Project description
Drones to help spread of sterile mosquitos
As average temperatures soar around the world, mosquitos are on the rise. Worse still is that these bloodthirsty insects transmit illnesses like Zika virus and dengue fever. In search of eco-friendly solutions to fight insect invasions, researchers are improving the ‘sterile insect technique’ that involves the mass rearing of male insects, sterilising them by radiation and releasing them to compete with their wild, non-sterile counterparts to reproduce. The EU-funded MOSQUAREL project will build on this technique. Since there is currently no aerial method to release the sterile males, it will develop mosquito-releasing drones. These drones will be tested in Spain and France as a first step towards commercialisation.
Objective
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.
Fields of science
- 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)
Funding Scheme
ERC-POC-LS - ERC Proof of Concept Lump Sum PilotHost institution
75016 Paris
France