Mary Gates Research Scholar, Winter 2025
Research Project: Chemical Attractions Underlying Mosquito Phytophagy
Project Description: With an estimated billion people impacted by malaria, yellow fever, and zika every year, the mosquito was deemed the “World’s Deadliest Animal” by the CDC in 2024. Mosquitoes have an exquisite sense of smell, widely studied for its role in locating human hosts for blood meals. However, mosquitoes also use their olfactory systems to locate and assess plant sugar– an essential food for longevity and fecundity. Yet the molecular basis of mosquitoes’ olfactory reception, and subsequent neural pathways, remains not well understood. My research aims to identify mosquitoes’ feeding choices and olfactory pathways using chemical analysis of plant matter.
What have you learned throughout your research project?
Science involves trial-and-error; don’t be discouraged when things take longer than expected! Enjoy the technical and conceptual learning that is happening, and don’t be afraid to ask questions to fill the gaps in your knowledge.
What piece of advice do you have for future applicants?
You don’t know what you are capable of, so don’t be afraid to put yourself out there! Keep communication with your mentors about your project, applications, and goals. It helps to start things in advance to give yourself leeway.