Vector Aedes aegypti, from functional genetics to ecological analyses

Mosquitoes cause 400,000 malaria deaths and transmit viruses to hundreds of millions. The vectorial capacity of mosquitoes depends on their ability to survive infection. However, it remains unclear what key mechanisms underlie the mosquito tolerance and resistance to infection with multiple microbes (bacteria, fungi, microbiota, viruses). We are particularly interested in approaches ranging from lab controlled functional genetics to field relevant ecological approaches to study this problem. Specifically, our interests include the innate immune mechanisms that allow to control infections in mosquitoes, the immune tolerance mechanisms that allow to shape the intestinal microbiota, the tissue repair mechanisms that permit mosquitoes to survive parasitic infection, and the influence of physiology (nutrition, mating) on infection with pathogens.