Last Updated: 11/04/2025
Screening and characterization of genes related to susceptibility to plasmodium infection in the main malaria vector (Anopheles gambiae)
Objectives
*Original title in Portuguese: Screening e caracterização de genes relacionados à suscetibilidade à infecção por plasmodium no principal vetor da malária (Anopheles gambiae)
Using the RNA interference technique for genetic silencing, this project seeks to understand the role of genes related to susceptibility to infection by Plasmodium species in the main malaria vector, Anopheles gambiae, in order to evaluate the genetic contributions to mosquito infectivity and identify similarities with the neotropical vector that stands out in Brazil.
Malaria is a febrile disease caused by infection with protozoa of the Plasmodium genus and transmitted by arthropods of the Anopheles genus, with the Anopheles gambiae mosquito being the main one, recognized for its wide distribution in the African continent. Regarding the transmission cycle of the disease, after the female has taken a blood meal, the success of a mosquito to pass from the infected stage, with the ingestion of gametocytes from the vertebrate, to the infectious stage, characterized by the presence of sporozoites in the salivary gland, is a process that presents several variables that can influence its implementation, representing significant bottlenecks and making them critical targets for control. Previous studies have already reported the existence of molecular markers related to the susceptibility of parasite infection in Brazilian vectors, showing themselves as potential targets for the control of malaria transmission. Furthermore, new markers are being determined through the candidate’s master’s project. Thus using the molecular markers previously described as targets, this project will assist in directing molecular strategies and tools aimed at vector control.
Mar 2025 — Sep 2025
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