Rearing anopheles mosquitoes without blood for malaria research and control

This study which will also be known as “MosqDiet”, intends to investigate a novel way for rearing Anopheles mosquitoes that will ensure the mass production of these mosquitoes for various research activities within the institute.

The primary objective of the study is to:

1. Optimize a blood-free meal that sustains multiple generations of mosquitoes without loss of fitness relative to colonies maintained on fresh blood.
2. Test the use and sustainability of the blood-free meal to rear different Anopheles spp. and their applicability in various African contexts.
3. Prove blood-free system adequacy for sustainable experimental infection with Plasmodium spp.
4. Consolidate a network of insectaries able to develop and implement research on malaria transmission.

Mosquito rearing in captivity is a major bottleneck and is highly dependent on successfully replicating the mosquito lifecycle, and subsequent use of high blood quantities. The use of blood constitutes a strong drawback due to ethical, financial and logistic issues and therefore, new approaches for blood-free-meals that are cheap and of simple and reproducible formulation are a priority to accelerate progress toward malaria eradication.

The study will be conducted in Bagamoyo for a duration of 2 years from January 2022 to December 2024.
Ifakara researchers involved in the study include:

1. Dr Brian B. Tarimo – Principal investigator
2. Faith Mosi – Project leader

The project will also involve three other institutions – two from Africa and one from Europe:

1. Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, Global Health and Tropical Medicine, Portugal (IHMT-NOVA);
2. National Institute of Health Mozambique (INS)Gomes;
3. Institut Recherche en Sciences de la Sante/Centre Muraz, Burkina Faso (IRSS/CM).

Support and funding: Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, Lisboa, Portugal.