UC Riverside researchers have discovered a 'biological control' solution to the persistent problem.
“During mating, mosquitoes couple tail to tail, and the males transfer sperm into the female reproductive tract. It can be stored there awhile, but it still has to get from point A to point B to complete fertilization,” said Cathy Thaler, the study’s first author, in aThese specialized proteins are released during ejaculation, activating the sperm flagella, according to the study. As a result, the sperm moves to complete the process of fertilization.
A group of graduate and undergraduate students of the university collated this profile. They isolated over 200 male mosquitoes from a larger population in total. The, their sperms were extracted from their tiny reproductive tracts for mass spectrometry to identify proteins. This laborious process resulted in the development of a comprehensive mosquito protein profile that could be used to control mosquitoes.
This research is critical for controlling mosquito populations in a more environmentally friendly manner than other toxic methods. “We’ve given up on spraying pesticides all over, because that kills everything, good insects and bad, and harms other animals,” Thaler said.This scientific approach would not diminish the entire mosquito population; rather, some fertile males would become infertile. This is especially important in terms of environmental balance.
The team's next step is to test this method on other mosquito species, particularly those that transmit
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