About this episode

Laura Duvall discusses the molecular regulation of mosquito biting timing and its implications for disease control.

Molecular regulation of mosquito biting timing Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us. In this episode, Laura Duvall introduces a potential pathway for disrupting the biting behavior of mosquitoes. In this episode, we cover: •[00:00] Introduction •[00:57] Mosquito neuroscientist Laura Duvall introduces us to the normal biting behavior of mosquitoes. •[02:46] She tells why the biting behavior of the Aedes aegypti mosquito is of particular interest. •[03:24] Duvall describes findings regarding how mosquitoes' responses to CO2 vary over times of day. •[05:37] She introduces the PDF peptide that might be regulating timing of biting behavior and explains how losing that peptide changed mosquitoes' behavior. •[08:07] Duvall talks about the takeaways from the study for control of mosquito-borne illnesses. •[08:53] She lists the caveats and…

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