Official websites use .gov

A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS

A lock ( 🔒 ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Need Help

Investigating the neural basis of spatial repellency in the malaria mosquito

Award Number: F32AI197522
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY & INFECTIOUS DISEASES
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: FELLOWSHIP/SCHOLARSHIP/STUDENT LOANS
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 10/15/2026
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 10/14/2027

Group Awards By:

View Award Description

Investigating the neural basis of spatial repellency in the malaria mosquito - 1 PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT 2 Repellents can prevent the transmission of mosquito-borne diseases by interrupting the 3 chemosensory pathways that underlie host-seeking behavior. The vast majority of repellents 4 used today are contact repellents which when worn topically either prevent mosquitoes from 5 landing or cause the mosquito to flee shortly thereafter. Alternatively, spatial repellents are a 6 promising class of repellent that acts over a long distance to deter mosquitoes. Spatial 7 repellents can prevent mosquitoes from entering an area, such as a home, and can therefore be 8 used synergistically alongside other popular mosquito-control strategies to prevent the 9 transmission of mosquito-borne diseases. However, despite this benefit our options for spatial 10 repellents remains limited. This is because the neural mechanism of spatial repellency is poorly 11 understood, and this prevents effective screening and optimization for spatial repellents. For 12 example, lemongrass oil is a potent spatial repellent to many mosquitoes, yet the active 13 ingredients leading to this repellency remains unknown. Using the Anopheles gambiae 14 malaria mosquito, I will investigate and identify the active ingredients driving spatial 15 repellency of multiple species of lemongrass oil and determine the neural basis of this 16 repellency. In Aim 1 I will investigate the repellency, and mode of action, for the individual 17 chemicals that comprise the oil for the species of lemongrass: Cymbopogon citratus, 18 Cymbopogon flexuosus, and Cymbopogon pendulus. In Aim 2 I will investigate which olfactory 19 sensory neurons respond to these active ingredients by using transgenic mosquitoes 20 expressing a calcium sensing fluorescent marker. I will identify the odorant receptors expressed 21 by these olfactory receptor neurons via microdissection and RNA-seq and evaluate their 22 individual responses using the Drosophila empty neuron system. This will elucidate which 23 receptors and neurons interact with the active ingredients of lemongrass oil to drive repellency. 24 Optogenetic stimulation and transgenic inhibition of these neurons will further determine 25 whether these olfactory receptors and neurons are sufficient to drive this repellency behavior. 26 These experiments will uncover fundamental mechanisms that drive spatial repellency in An. 27 gambiae. This will improve our capacity to screen for new effective spatial repellents and 28 optimize existing repellents. Furthermore, the powerful neurogenetic tools generated by this 29 work will advance the field of mosquito biology. The training provided by this proposal will 30 provide me the skills necessary to investigate fundamental questions of mosquito olfaction and 31 neurobiology and prepare me to begin an independent research lab.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2026 ( Subtotal = $76,300 )
2026	2026	THE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY	3400 N CHARLES ST	BALTIMORE	MD	21218	BALTIMORE CITY	USA	Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research	000	1	4/17/2026	NEW	$76,300
														Subtotal = $76,300

Grand Total All Awards = $76,300

Top

All Categories

About

Search

Reports

Data Submission

Award Information

Investigating the neural basis of spatial repellency in the malaria mosquito

Award Number: F32AI197522

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY & INFECTIOUS DISEASES

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: FELLOWSHIP/SCHOLARSHIP/STUDENT LOANS

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 10/15/2026

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 10/14/2027

Federal Websites

Department of Health & Human Services

HHS Operating Divisions

HHS Staff Divisions

Download A Document Viewer