Project description
Researchers try to outsmart the early biters
Just before dusk in malaria-prone regions, a quiet shift is unfolding. Mosquitoes are starting to bite earlier, slipping past the protection of insecticide-treated nets (ITNs). These nets have long been a lifesaver, yet their effectiveness is waning as mosquito behaviour changes. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the MosqBedTiming project is investigating whether this shift is a result of genetic evolution or flexible adaptation. Using a newly developed assay to monitor mosquito activity over weeks, the project will track biting patterns in both the lab and field. The findings could be key to designing smarter, next-generation tools to protect vulnerable communities from one of the world’s deadliest diseases.
Objective
Mosquitoes transmit malaria parasites by feeding on humans, claiming approximately half a million lives each year. Insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) have been an effective method to reduce malaria mortality by protecting people from mosquito bites at night. However, mosquitoes are now changing their host-seeking behavior, biting before nightfall reducing ITN effectiveness. This project aims to understand the origins of these behavioral shifts using innovative methodologies. Two mechanisms are hypothesized to drive this shift: genetic evolution or phenotypic plasticity. ITNs may select for mosquitoes genetically hardwired to bite early, or mosquitoes might adapt behaviorally without genetic changes. These mechanisms have different implications for long-term ITN effectiveness and require different countermeasures. We currently lack the tools to accurately test these hypotheses.
I recently developed a behavioral assay to longitudinally monitor mosquito activity in the lab continuously over weeks. I now aim to adapt this method for field deployment to investigate temporal shifts in mosquito behavior in malaria-endemic regions with varying levels of ITN use. I will merge lab and field research through three objectives:
(1) Develop an assay to monitor mosquito host-seeking rhythms and environmental variables in the field.
(2) Deploy the assay in malaria-endemic areas with varying ITN exposure.
(3) Dissect the genetic and environmental factors driving host-seeking shifts in lab experiments.
The project combines my experience in biophysics and hardware development with Prof. Teun Bousema's expertise in malaria fieldwork, and Dr. Felix Hol's expertise in mosquito behavior to address the urgent issue of mosquito behavioral resistance to ITNs. This work will help design next-generation vector control strategies by understanding the factors driving behavioral shifts that diminish the effectiveness of ITNs.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- medical and health sciences health sciences infectious diseases parasitic diseases malaria
- social sciences sociology demography mortality
- natural sciences biological sciences biophysics
- natural sciences biological sciences zoology invertebrate zoology
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Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
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Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
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Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2024-PF-01
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6525 GA Nijmegen
Netherlands
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