Reading the Mosquito: What Two New Genomes Can Tell Us About Malaria

A mosquito’s whine is easy to dismiss as a minor irritation. Yet some mosquitoes carry one of humanity’s oldest and deadliest diseases. Malaria is caused by microscopic Plasmodium parasites, but those parasites depend on Anopheles mosquitoes to move from one human host to another. Understanding the mosquito, therefore, is an important part of understanding the disease. Every new genetic reference gives researchers another way to investigate what makes these insects effective vectors, how populations differ, and how their biology may shape transmission. Two recent genome announcements involving Dr. Shimaa Ghazal and student researchers at Phillips Exeter Academy add new genetic resources for studying two particularly important malaria vectors: Anopheles gambiae and Anopheles stephensi.