Can Mosquitoes Become Invisible?
WouterAmong the most dangerous disease-carrying creatures is the mosquito. These insects can carry diseases such as West Nile virus and dengue. They also spread infections, such as malaria. These diseases can cause an estimated 660,000 deaths a year in the U.S. Luckily, researchers have found a way to make the mosquito invisible.
Scientists from the University of Washington have discovered that common mosquitoes prefer certain wavelengths of light in the visual spectrum. This could lead to a way to make people invisible to these parasites.
The scientists also found that a chemical compound naturally present in human skin can block the mosquito’s sense of smell. They isolated the chemical, 1-methylpiperazine, and tested its effect on mosquitoes. The chemical was able to completely block the mosquitoes’ sense of smell.
The researchers also wanted to find out if this would help them create an invisible mosquito. They started by injecting a gene mutation into thousands of tiny mosquito eggs. Then, they tested it on female mosquitoes in wind tunnels.
The team of researchers wanted to know if these double mutant mosquitoes were blind to humans. They used a special needle with a very tiny tip. Then, they tested the animals in wind tunnels with CO2 sprayed into the chambers. The results showed that the double mutants were no longer able to detect the dark-colored host.
The researchers believe that this work is the first step in a new approach to battling mosquitoes. They say that if they can remove the organic cues that mosquitoes use to locate hosts, they can stop the spread of deadly diseases.
