The mysteries of the malaria mosquito are being uncovered by scientists in an effort to combat malaria. The holy grail, according to an NIH-funded study, is in the specific details of the malaria mosquito’s highly complex olfactory system. A detailed map of the mosquito’s maxillary palp, the area the specializes in detecting human odors, was recently published in Current Biology. What the map reveals is that there are a few very specific molecular targets that, if modified, could prevent malaria mosquitoes from finding (and attacking) humans. The study fills in a major gap in the knowledge of the malaria mosquito and how it differs from other species of mosquitoes that carry diseases such as dengue and yellow fever.
Read more at ScienceDaily and Current Biology
