A5035892152- Mosquito-borne diseases and control
- Insect symbiosis and bacterial influences
- Parasitic Diseases Research and Treatment
- SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 Research
- SARS-CoV-2 detection and testing
- Insect and Pesticide Research
- CRISPR and Genetic Engineering
- Viral Infections and Vectors
- Insect Resistance and Genetics
- Biosensors and Analytical Detection
- Malaria Research and Control
- COVID-19 Clinical Research Studies
- Insect behavior and control techniques
- Animal Virus Infections Studies
- Invertebrate Immune Response Mechanisms
- Insect Utilization and Effects
- Infection Control and Ventilation
- Parasite Biology and Host Interactions
- Advanced biosensing and bioanalysis techniques
- Dental Research and COVID-19
- Vector-borne infectious diseases
- Plant Virus Research Studies
- Entomopathogenic Microorganisms in Pest Control
- Cocoa and Sweet Potato Agronomy
- Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior
Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine
2018-2025
University of Liverpool
2020-2024
University of Zurich
2024
London Centre for Neglected Tropical Disease Research
2020-2024
Pennsylvania State University
2011-2023
Wellcome Trust
2023
Wellcome Sanger Institute
2023
European Bioinformatics Institute
2023
Health Protection Research Unit in Emerging and Zoonotic Infections at University of Liverpool
2021
University of Bari Aldo Moro
2021
Endosymbiotic Wolbachia bacteria are potent modulators of pathogen infection and transmission in multiple naturally artificially infected insect species, including important vectors human pathogens. Anopheles mosquitoes uninfected with Wolbachia, stable artificial infections have not yet succeeded this genus. Recent techniques enabled establishment somatic Anopheles. Here, we characterize two diverse strains (wMelPop wAlbB) gambiae, the major vector malaria. After infection, wMelPop...
Abstract SARS-CoV-2 emerged from animals and is now easily transmitted between people. Sporadic detection of natural cases in alongside successful experimental infections pets, such as cats, ferrets dogs, raises questions about the susceptibility under conditions pet ownership. Here, we report a large-scale study to assess infection 919 companion living northern Italy, sampled at time frequent human infection. No tested PCR positive. However, 3.3% dogs 5.8% cats had measurable neutralizing...
Abstract The scientific community has responded to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic by rapidly undertaking research find effective strategies reduce burden of this disease. Encouragingly, researchers from a diverse array fields are collectively working towards goal. Research with infectious severe acute respiratory syndrome 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is undertaken in high-containment laboratories; however, it often desirable work samples at lower-containment levels. To facilitate...
Significance Factors influencing Wolbachia transfer into new species remain poorly understood. This is important as can influence speciation and being developed a novel arthropod-borne disease control approach. We show the native microbiota of Anopheles impede vertical transmission . Antibiotic microbiome perturbation enables in two species. Mosquitoes with altered microbiomes do not exhibit blood meal-induced mortality associated infection, suggesting that mosquitoes are killed by...
Abstract Cas9-mediated gene editing is a powerful tool for addressing research questions in arthropods. Current approaches rely upon delivering Cas9 ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complex by embryonic microinjection, which challenging, limited to small number of species, and inefficient even optimized taxa. Here we develop technology termed Receptor-Mediated Ovary Transduction Cargo (ReMOT Control) deliver RNP the arthropod germline injection into adult female mosquitoes. We identify peptide (P2C)...
Novel strategies are required to control mosquitoes and the pathogens they transmit. One attractive approach involves maternally inherited endosymbiotic Wolbachia bacteria. After artificial infection with Wolbachia, many become refractory transmission of diverse pathogens. We evaluated effects (wAlbB strain) on infection, dissemination West Nile virus (WNV) in naturally uninfected mosquito Culex tarsalis, which is an important WNV vector North America. inoculation into adult female...
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) not only affects the respiratory tract but also causes neurological symptoms such as loss of smell and taste, headache, fatigue or severe cerebrovascular complications. Using transgenic mice expressing human angiotensin-converting enzyme (hACE2), we investigated spatiotemporal distribution pathomorphological features in CNS following intranasal infection with SARS-CoV-2 variants, well after prior influenza A virus infection. Apart...
Microbial interactions are an underappreciated force in shaping insect microbiome communities. Although pairwise patterns of symbiont have been identified, we a poor understanding regarding the scale and nature co-occurrence co-exclusion within microbiome. To characterize these mosquitoes, sequenced bacterial Aedes aegypti, Ae. albopictus, Culex quinquefasciatus caught field or reared laboratory used data to generate interaction networks. For collections, traps that attracted host-seeking...
Wolbachia, a common bacterial endosymbiont of insects, has been shown to protect its hosts against wide range pathogens. However, not all strains exert protective effect on their host. Here we assess the effects two divergent Wolbachia strains, wAlbB from Aedes albopictus and wMelPop Drosophila melanogaster, vector competence Anopheles gambiae challenged with Plasmodium berghei. We show that strain significantly increases P. berghei oocyst levels in mosquito midgut while modestly suppresses...
Abstract Very recently, the Asian malaria vector ( Anopheles stephensi ) was stably transinfected with w AlbB strain of Wolbachia , inducing refractoriness to human parasite Plasmodium falciparum . However, conditions in field can differ substantially from those laboratory. We use rodent P. yoelii and somatically An. as a model system investigate whether transmission blocking potential is likely be robust across different thermal environments. reduced prevalence oocyst intensity at 28°C. At...
Zika virus (ZIKV), a flavivirus transmitted primarily by Aedes aegypti, has recently spread globally in an unprecedented fashion, yet we have poor understanding of host-microbe interactions this system. To gain insights into the interplay between ZIKV and mosquito, sequenced small RNA profiles ZIKV-infected non-infected Ae. aegypti mosquitoes at 2, 7 14 days post-infection. ZIKA induced RNAi response mosquito with virus-derived short interfering RNAs PIWI-interacting dramatically increased...
Abstract In the context of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic there has been an increase use antigen-detection rapid diagnostic tests (Ag-RDT). The performance Ag-RDT vary greatly between manufacturers and evaluating their analytical limit detection (LOD) become high priority. Here we describe a manufacturer-independent evaluation LOD 19 marketed using live SARS-CoV-2 spiked in different matrices: direct culture supernatant, dry swab, swab Amies. Additionally, was investigated...
Innovative tools are essential for advancing malaria control and depend on an understanding of molecular mechanisms governing transmission parasites by Anopheles mosquitoes. CRISPR/Cas9-based gene disruption is a powerful method to uncover underlying biology vector-pathogen interactions can itself form the basis mosquito strategies. However, embryo injection methods used genetically manipulate mosquitoes (especially ) difficult inefficient, particularly non-specialist laboratories. Here, we...
Wolbachia, a widespread bacterium that can reduce pathogen transmission in mosquitoes, has recently been reported to be present Anopheles (An.) species. In wild populations of the An. gambiae complex, primary vectors Plasmodium malaria Sub-Saharan Africa, Wolbachia DNA sequences at low density and infection frequencies have detected. As majority studies used highly sensitive nested PCR as only method detection, more robust evidence is required determine whether strains are established...
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) extensively
COVID-19 is a spectrum of clinical symptoms in humans caused by infection with SARS-CoV-2. The coalescence SARS-CoV-2 seasonal respiratory viruses, particularly influenza global health concern. To understand this, transgenic mice expressing the human ACE2 receptor (K18-hACE2) were infected A virus (IAV) followed and host response effect on biology was compared to K18-hACE2 IAV or alone. sequentially showed reduced RNA synthesis, yet exhibited more rapid weight loss, severe lung damage...
Abstract Background The mosquito microbiome is an important modulator of vector competence and vectoral capacity. Unlike the extensively studied bacterial microbiome, fungal communities in (the mycobiome) remain largely unexplored. To work towards getting improved understanding fungi associated with mosquitoes, we sequenced mycobiome three field-collected laboratory-reared species ( Aedes albopictus, aegypti, Culex quinquefasciatus ). Results Our analysis showed both environment host were...