Abstract
Mosquito-related diseases are a major health concern worldwide, necessitating improved methods of prevention. In this study, we introduce two innovative tools to help deepen our understanding of mosquito behavior and enhance our control strategies. The first tool is a unique flight chamber designed to study spatial repellents – specific airborne chemicals that form an invisible barrier, deterring mosquitoes and mosquito-borne diseases away from humans. The amount of repellent needed to be effective, however, is unclear. Our flight chamber enables precise control and measurement of repellent levels in the air, facilitating study of mosquito responses. Initial findings show that mosquitoes are less active with repellents, but not entirely deterred. Continued work with our chamber could help pinpoint optimal repellent levels for effectiveness. Secondly, we developed a model system called BITES that mimics a mosquito biting a human. This system uses a capillary gelatin-alginate hydrogel (Capgel), which has vessels that can be populated with human cells and filled with blood. BITES attracts mosquitoes, which perform regular blood-feeding behaviors on the biomaterial. BITES can be used to study the mosquito-bite site more closely and potentially better understand disease transmission. These new tools can lead to improved strategies of mosquito control, and thereby reduce mosquito-borne diseases worldwide.
Notes
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Graduation Date
2023
Semester
Summer
Advisor
Willenberg, Bradley
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
College
College of Medicine
Department
Biomed Sciences, Burnett Schl
Degree Program
Biomedical Sciences
Identifier
CFE0009897; DP0028430
URL
https://purls.library.ucf.edu/go/DP0028430
Language
English
Release Date
February 2027
Length of Campus-only Access
3 years
Access Status
Doctoral Dissertation (Campus-only Access)
STARS Citation
Seavey, Corey, "New Tools and Platforms for Mosquito Behavior, Control and Bite-site Biology Investigations" (2023). Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023. 1926.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd2020/1926
Restricted to the UCF community until February 2027; it will then be open access.