When most  people hear about research into mosquitoes, they see it as fascinating. Today, I wish to delve into an innovative study by Target Malaria Ghana, which aims to shed light on one of Africa’s most pressing public health issues—malaria transmission. If you have been wondering how scientists unravel the secrets of these tiny, yet mighty creatures, your question is about to be answered. 

The mesocosm magic 

Target Malaria Ghana is conducting a mesocosm study at its laboratories, The Mosquito Ecology Facility, based in the Department of Animal Biology and Conservation, at the University of Ghana, Legon. A mesocosm study can be likened to a world where scientists create a miniature ecosystem an outdoor space that simulates the natural environment of mosquitoes. This is precisely the case where researchers control and observe mosquito populations under various conditions without the unpredictability of a natural setting or the rigidity of a lab. 

_{A mesocosm setup} 

Why mosquitoes? 

In Ghana and many parts of the world, mosquitoes are more than just a nuisance – they are vectors of diseases like zika, west nile, chikungunya, dengue, and malaria. Together, mosquito-borne diseases claim over 700,000 lives every year around the world. Malaria alone kills over 600,000 mostly in Africa ( World Malaria Report 2023). Target Malaria Ghana is particularly interested in studying the Anopheles gambiae type, a primary culprit in malaria transmission in West Africa. 

The study at a glance 

In this mesocosm study, the scientists in the Mosquito Ecology Facility, are investigating how the population of Anopheles gambiae is regulated through measured actions like density manipulation, daily monitoring, and the observation of their transition to adulthood. To manipulate the density, the scientists vary the number of larvae in their mesocosm setups (from as few as 25 to as many as 400), this way, they can observe how different population densities affect the mosquitoes’ survival and development.  Every day, they watch larval and pupal mortality rates, the time it takes for the larvae to develop, and the percentage of mosquitoes that do not survive to the pupation stage. 

_{Image of an Anopheles gambiae pupa} 

After the larvae become pupae and then adult mosquitoes, they are moved into the laboratory. Here, scientists study their emergence rates, size, and mortality to understand the long-term effects of their early life conditions. 

As the mosquito population increases, competition for resources like food and space begins. This competition can influence their growth, survival, and overall health. By understanding these dynamics, Target Malaria Ghana hopes to develop effective protocols for mosquito rearing and, their control.  

_{The life cycle of a mosquito} 

The broader vision 

This study is not just an isolated scientific experiment, it is part of a larger scheme. Target Malaria Ghana is working towards developing protocols for rearing genetically modified mosquitoes. While Target Malaria Ghana does not study genetically modified mosquitoes, the objective of the mesocosm studies is to ensure that the genetically modified mosquitoes are introduced into the wild efficiently and sustainably.  

In the fight against malaria, every piece of information counts. The mesocosm study by Target Malaria Ghana offers crucial insights into the life cycle of one of the world’s deadliest pests, the one that kills the greatest number of people in the world, mostly in Africa. By learning more about how mosquitoes live, grow, and die, scientists get a step closer to a world where malaria is a thing of the past. 

For World Mosquito Day 2023, we shared a video answering the question Is it possible to dissect a mosquito? To answer the question simply: yes, it is possible to dissect a mosquito, but very carefully. 

Mosquitoes are dissected to learn more about their anatomy and function. Two organs that are important for their studies are the spermatheca (where the sperm is stored after mating) and the midgut.  

_{Female mosquito anesthetised. CDC Foundation (from video)} 

To better picture the anatomy, we recorded a live footage of a dissection. In the video, show a female mosquito that has been anesthetised. To remove the spermatheca, which can be seen through a dissecting scope, the mosquito body is anchored with one pair of fine forceps, using another pair of forceps to gently pull on the last segment of the body to tear it from the body. Internal organs remain attached to this last segment. 

Among the first to be released is the spermatheca. The spermatheca is a round black disc that stores sperm transferred from the males to the females during mating.

_{Spermatheca. CDC Foundation (from video)} 

On the right we can see a spermatheca from a mated female. The black arrow is pointing at the sperm in the opened spermatheca compared to the one on the left from an unmated female that does not contain sperm.  

If you continue pulling on the last segment of the body, the midgut will become visible. The midgut is an essential organ responsible for digesting the blood after the female mosquito has fed. If a mosquito was infected with malaria parasites when consuming their blood meal, the parasites will form oocysts in the gut wall. The midgut can be stained 6 to 8 days after the feeding to check for malaria infection, and the oocysts will look like round dots. 

_{Midgut wall. CDC Foundation (from video)}

For example, the midgut on the left is from an uninfected mosquito with no malaria parasites.  

On the right, black arrows are pointing at some of the oocysts, indicating the mosquito was infected with the malaria parasite.  

To find out more about Target Malaria’s work at the CDC Foundation, please visit here. 

I am excited to join the team at the Imperial South Kensington campus as a Research Technician, driven by my passion for malaria research and exploring new tools to combat the disease. I hold a BSc in Public and Environmental Health from the University of The Gambia, and I bring over six years of experience in malaria transmission blocking experiments, mosquito culturing, field mosquito collection, and other molecular work. 

My career as an entomologist began 6 years ago through an internship at the Medical Research Council (MRC) The Gambia unit at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), working on a project aimed at using Anopheles gambiae s.l. swarm trapping as a complementary tool against residual malaria transmission in eastern Gambia. This experience set a high standard for me and inspired me to strive for excellence in the field of medical entomology. In 2018, I was hired as a Trainee Scientific Officer with the Vector and Molecular Biology team at MRC The Gambia unit at LSHTM, and a year later, I was promoted to Scientific Officer. 

I am now eager to expand my knowledge in malaria control research by exploring gene drive technology as a new tool to suppress wild mosquito populations and reduce malaria transmission. I look forward to this next phase of my journey with the innovative Discovery Team. 

The high-pitched buzzing of a mosquito typically brings to mind memories of itchy bites and thoughts of the deadly disease malaria, and other viral infections like dengue, zika, and chikungunya. While these associations are well-known, it is lesser known that mosquitoes, may be occasional plant feeders.

Both male and female mosquitoes from various species feed on plant fluids, and some even contribute to pollination. The Culex and Aedes mosquito species have been documented feeding on floral nectar and aiding in plant pollination, but there was no scientific evidence suggesting that Anopheles gambiae played a role in pollination. Further scientific investigation needed to be undertaken.

Investigating Mosquitoes in the Wild

To explore this potential, I conducted an extensive study in two malaria-endemic villages in Ghana. Over 608 hours were spent searching for interactions between Anopheles gambiae and flowers. The result of this observation demonstrated that no such interactions were observed. Not a single Anopheles gambiae was seen on any flowers. In contrast, a few Culex species were found on petals and leaves.

         _{Culex mosquito species spotted on various plant parts in the wild.}

To further investigate this, 709 Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes were collected – 246 from indoor environments and 463 from outdoor locations such as under leaves, in abandoned houses, and among packed blocks. These mosquitoes were examined under a light microscope for pollen grains, but none were found.

Controlled Experiments: Testing for Pollination Potential

To determine if Anopheles gambiae could pick up pollen in a controlled environment, 120 newly emerged, unfed Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes were introduced to the flowers of 11 different plant species in cages. The mosquitoes visited all the flowers provided to them overnight.

_{An. gambiae visiting flowers in the laboratory}

Upon examination the following morning, some mosquitoes were found with pollen grains, mostly attached to  the head region (antennae and mouthparts), abdomen, and legs.

_{Pollen attached to An. gambiae under light microscope (x100).}

Energy Sources and Flower Visitation

The next experiment was to try to understand how Anopheles gambiae obtains energy if not frequently visiting flowers. The mosquitoes were introduced to branches of the same 11 plant species, and their visits to various plant parts were recorded.

_{Plant branches with inflorescence in a cage to which An. gambiae were introduced}

The results showed that most of the mosquitoes preferred visiting leaves (90 visits) and nodes (54 visits) over flowers (just 10 visits).

This behaviour suggests that Anopheles gambiae likely may be deriving its energy from other parts of the plant more often than from flowers. Since the effectiveness of a pollinator is largely determined by its frequency of flower visitation, it can be concluded that Anopheles gambiae may not be an effective pollinator.

Conclusion

While Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes are capable of picking up pollen in a controlled environment, their infrequent visits to flowers in the wild indicate they are unlikely to play a significant role in pollination. Their primary source of energy seems to be derived from leaves and other plant parts.

The National Biosafety Agency of Burkina Faso published on August 30, 2024 a press release about the biosafety measures taken in the implementation of the Target Malaria in Burkina Faso at the Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé in Bobo-Dioulasso.

This release calls on the Burkina Faso public to trust the decisions made my Burkinabè regulatory agencies authorising research on genetically modified mosquitoes as part of the  Target Malaria  project.

“ANB, in this statement, wishes to reassure national and international public opinion that all biosafety measures have been taken to ensure the safe use of these GMOs both in a contained environment (in the laboratory) and in an open environment (in the environment), for each stage of the project’s development. It also invites the public to have confidence in the state structures and authorities set up to coordinate, develop, monitor and use research for the benefit of our well-being and the development of our country, and to distance themselves from scientific untruths, in particular the conflation of Anopheles mosquitoes, the vectors of malaria (the subject of the Target Malaria project), and Aedes mosquitoes, the vectors of dengue fever”.

Full release (in French): https://www.infosciencesculture.com/en/node/219

Target Malaria supports and scrupulously respects stringent, competent, responsible and transparent regulations to advance research into the use of genetically modified mosquitoes to combat malaria in Burkina Faso and Africa.

This statement reinforces the strong declaration made by the National Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters in August 2024.

For the past 6 months, I have worked on the Global Communications team at Target Malaria. This has been an opportunity to thoroughly explore the world of science communications and approach the task of simplifying complex scientific concepts for a range of audiences.  

I have had the opportunity to work on numerous campaigns commemorating World Malaria Day and World Mosquito Day, and even got to plan and lead a campaign of my own for Africa Day. I have approached communications from all angles, doing everything from creating illustrations and designing content for campaigns to researching awards to celebrate our hardworking researchers and stakeholder engagement teams. 

Much of my work has been dedicated to the upkeep of the Target Malaria website, from performing admin tasks to writing blogs on events and scientific developments across our country teams; I broke down dense political documents and shared  fun creative concepts for campaigns. 

A mosquito animation created for World Mosquito Day. 

I also enjoyed engaging the public at the Great Exhibition Road festival: playtesting the Microinjection video game, showcasing live mosquitoes in their different life stages (which I later created animated GIFs of) and showcasing the Mozzie Drive card game. 

It has been amazing to witness this year’s major highlights in the entire Target Malaria team, from hosting the President of the National Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters in Burkina Faso, to gracing the stage of the annual TED conference. 

It has also been a pleasure to work with the Global Communications team and I would like to thank Morgane Danielou for being a gracious and uplifting leader, Yann-Pablo Corminboeuf for helping me flourish creatively and explore new approaches to digital art, and Lorraine Gibson for being a constant guiding presence throughout the internship. During my term we also welcomed Ndeye Mane Sall to our team, and I would like to thank her for her genuine consideration of the whole team’s input and for always being there to lend a helping hand. Finally, as the newest intern, Zainab Shire has brought such a bright energy and fresh ideas to the table and as a fellow recent graduate, I wish her the best of luck as she carves out a career path. 

It has been a pleasure to be a part of this team, and I am looking forward to seeing what the future holds as I go forward. 

This summer, I had the incredible opportunity to intern at Target Malaria, in partnership with the 10,000 Intern foundation. Target Malaria is a not-for-profit consortium aiming to contribute to a world free of malaria. During my time as a communications intern, I was able to immerse myself in various projects, through which I developed a wealth of skills that significantly enriched both my professional and personal development.  

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One of the main highlights of my internship was working on the World Mosquito Day campaign. We conducted a two-week educational campaign in the run up to World Mosquito Day, which took place on the 20^th of August 2024, posting daily content that highlighted the differences between dengue and malaria, as well as the Aedes and Anopheles mosquitoes which transmit those diseases.  

To view our posts on LinkedIn, X, and Facebook, search the hashtag #MosquitoCountdown and #WorldMosquitoDay. To honour the day, we also celebrated the release of Prof. Abdoulaye Diabaté’s TED 2024 talk, “How to end malaria once and for all”. As one of our leading scientists, he brought the burden of malaria in Africa and innovative ideas like gene drive to a global stage, to emphasise the action needed to eliminate this disease. I was proud to contribute to creating the promotional materials and supporting the team in implementing effective communication strategies for this campaign.  

As a Policy, Politics and Economics student, social impact and its potential to drive meaningful change has always been an area of interest. To have worked with an organisation dedicated to public health and lifting the burden of malaria, especially in the African region has been extremely rewarding. This experience has deepened my understanding of malaria and the impact of this vector-borne disease. 

I want to express my gratitude to the Global Communication team for the opportunity to join them. I am grateful to have worked closely with experts in the field of communications. I also want to thank the 10,000 Interns Foundation for always supporting underrepresented students and providing us with opportunities for professional development. As I continue into my final year of studies, I am eager to apply the skills and insights gained at Target Malaria to my academic and future professional endeavours. 

I am very excited to be joining the Target Malaria team as a Research Technician on the Discovery Team at Imperial College London. 

I completed my BSc in Biochemistry at UCL this year, and graduated with a year in the industry qualification due to my work at Folium Science based in Bristol. During my 12-month placement, I assembled a reporter assay to test guide RNA effectiveness for CRISPR-Cas antimicrobials through an in vitro fluorescence change without selection of a double antibiotic. Its success led to its implementation in other projects at the company and a first-class mark, plus the personal decision to pursue a more research-guided career.  

Already, from my (almost) 3 weeks at the lab, I have learnt so much and most importantly, been driven to think independently as a scientist following the completion of my undergraduate degree. I currently work in the insectary to rear and maintain multiple mosquito lines, as well as the molecular biology lab for more cloning and plasmid assembly- based projects which I am more familiar with from my previous experience.  

Through my Sudanese heritage, I have spent multiple summers in Sudan and have witnessed the effects of malaria not only to suffering patients but their surrounding community. I am honoured to be involved in researching a solution. 

Beyond science, I love to crochet, so winter hats for everyone! 

In April, I had the immense privilege of being invited to speak at the TED2024 conference: The Brave and the Brilliant, in Vancouver, Canada. I am grateful to have shared the stage with inspirational trailblazers across a variety of fields, covering topics ranging from preventative medicine to the future of audio computing and musical improvisational comedy. I used this opportunity to talk about malaria, a global health issue that claims the lives of 600,000 people each year and continues to devastate many communities today, particularly in Africa. 

Malaria is more than just a global health issue; the number of deaths represents real people, each with a personal story of battling this disease. At TED2024, I had the chance to share my personal story as a childhood survivor of malaria. Having carried this burden myself, witnessed the psychological stress it caused my family, and endured the pain firsthand, bringing the issue to a global stage was a highlight of my career as a scientist. It allowed me to share with global audiences the serious threat that weighs on malaria-endemic countries, and emphasise the urgent need for increased awareness, research, innovation, and funding to eliminate the disease.  

I explained how, as well as being a health issue, malaria is closely linked to poverty and is a significant barrier to education and economic stability. By sharing my story, I hope to inspire change and help others recognise the critical need for collective action to eliminate this disease. 

Abdoulaye Diabaté speaks at TED2024: The Brave and the Brilliant. Vancouver, BC, Canada. Photo: Jasmina Tomic / TED

As Principal Investigator of Target Malaria Burkina Faso, it was crucial for me to highlight the consortium’s collaborative efforts across highly impacted countries in Africa, such as Ghana and Uganda, as well as their partnerships in the US, UK, and Italy. I was proud to share the consortium’s work in developing gene drive, an innovative, cost-effective and sustainable technology to help fight malaria in Africa. 

Introducing Target Malaria’s commitment to transparency and stakeholder engagement , I emphasised how research cannot be separated from society. A significant part of this work involves promoting responsible science standards and fostering meaningful collaboration every step of the way. The communities that we work with are the people most affected by the disease. Their ownership and involvement are critical to the success of our work.  

We also aim to make Target Malaria a space for exchange and capacity building, paving the way for the next generation of African scientists making major contributions to scientific research.  The tools we have today are sufficient but without the innovation of new tools such as gene drive, we may never be able to cross the last mile of malaria elimination. 

Being at TED has been an invigorating experience giving Target Malaria a platform to share our call to action to eliminate malaria in Africa. I believe that collectively we can end malaria and improve global health. I hope my legacy will be the new generations of African malaria scientists I have had the opportunity to train and mentor.  

I wish to warmly thank the whole TED team who made my participation possible.  

Watch my TED talk below: 

http://go.ted.com/abdoulayediabate