Project Title: Exploiting probiotics to enhance the mating success of Aedes aegypti Wolbachia-infected males for population suppression.
Project Summary: The use of Wolbachia, a naturally occurring bacterium, has been a breakthrough in controlling Aedes aegypti mosquitoes and reducing dengue, Zika and chikungunya transmission. For control approaches that reduce the mosquito population, efficacy is reliant on mating success. This project will investigate how gut microbiome diversity and composition influences male mating competitiveness. Using novel microbiome transplantation techniques, I will assess whether specific beneficial bacterial communities enhance mating success. Findings could lead to probiotic-based treatments that improve affordability of mosquito suppression campaigns, making them more scalable and accessible in lower- and middle-income countries, where mosquito-borne diseases remain a public health threat.
