Controlling Infectious Mosquitoes with New Research

Researchers at UC Riverside have identified proteins responsible for activating mosquito sperm, which could be shut down to prevent them from swimming to or fertilizing eggs. This could be a significant step in controlling the populations of Culex mosquitoes, which spread encephalitis and the West Nile Virus. The study offers a path toward controlling mosquitoes that is more environmentally friendly than other methods that can have unintended, toxic effects. The technology would change the proportion of fertile to infertile males in a given mosquito population, rather than wiping them all out. Additionally, learning more about Culex sperm motility may have implications for improving fertility in humans.