Intervention methods against mosquito-borne diseases

Thesis

Mosquito-borne diseases account for hundreds of thousands of deaths each year, highlighting the need for successful intervention methods, which can be targeted at either the pathogen, mosquito vector, or human host. This thesis aims to contribute to better intervention methods focused against malaria and dengue by either (i) improving available research tools, (ii) enhancing the understanding of a promising intervention method or (iii) designing new intervention candidates. Firstly, a superior method for studying in vitro malaria infection of the liver is shown, with implications for vaccine and drug interventions. Secondly, the biology of Wolbachia infection in Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes in the context of the target of rapamycin signalling cascade is investigated in an attempt to improve our understanding of its malaria inhibitory phenotype and inability to stably infect An. gambiae mosquitoes. Finally, an algorithm is developed for the design of a hypothesis driven conservation-based vaccine against viral mosquito diseases with a particular focus on dengue.

Authors: Blight, J

• DOI: 10.5287/ora-gabkgxzbj
• Type of award: DPhil
• Level of award: Doctoral
• Awarding institution: University of Oxford
• Language: English
• Keywords: Wolbachia; Dengue; Malaria
• Subjects: Communicable diseases