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

Language

English

Release Date

February 2027

Length of Campus-only Access

3 years

Access Status

Doctoral Dissertation (Campus-only Access)

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Restricted to the UCF community until February 2027; it will then be open access.

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