Identify the specific components of human scent that are actively perceived by olfactory centers in the Ae. aegypti brain and drive mosquito attraction towards humans to develop a powerful chemical lure.
Large-scale deployment of mosquitoes infected with Wolbachia, a naturally occurring bacteria proven to block the transmission of dengue fever and Zika virus from mosquitoes to humans.
Field test a multi-pronged Wolbachia-based strategy to effectively control Zika: the release of Wolbachia-infected males to suppress the population (up to local eradication), followed by seeding of Wolbachia-infected females to establish a viral resistant population. Once the resistant population grows to a certain density, males carrying a second Wolbachia strain will be released to further suppress the population.
Development of Chromobaterium Csp_P as a cost-effective, environmentally-friendly and logistically simple mosquito control biopesticide. The unique properties of Chromobaterium Csp_P, which can kill larvae and adults of all mosquito vectors, and block pathogen infection of mosquitoes, renders it a highly potent weapon against current and future mosquito-borne diseases.
Field evaluation of yeast interfering RNA larvicides that kill nearly 100% of A. aegypti larvae in laboratory assays. The interfering RNA molecules identified represent a novel class of larvicides with untapped potential for biorational and sustainable mosquito control.
Develop, pilot and evaluate the potential to scale the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to strengthen national health systems’ coverage, reach and responsiveness to address existing and future health threats.
Development of Electronic Mosquito Barriers (EMBs), which use high power pulsed electric fields to repel mosquitoes. Using pulsations that vary randomly in both strength and frequency, the EMBs create a mosquito-repelling force field. The unpredictability of the pulsations makes it nearly impossible for mosquitoes to learn or adapt to when, where, and with what force the electric field is coming.
Development of sandals that release highly effective, wide-area spatial mosquito repellents, creating full-time protection against both day-biting and night-biting mosquitoes at individual and household level. The low cost sandals provide protection against Dengue, Zika, Chikungunya and Malaria using hessian strips impregnated with highly effective and safe repellent, transfluthrin.
Development of a treated net impregnated with metofluthrin, which maintains efficacy for a three-week period. Small units of net, or emanators, are hung indoors and create protected zones that prevent mosquito-human contact.