Living Repellent: Genetically Engineered Skin Microbes are Smart Enough to Repel Mosquitoes

Genetically engineered human skin bacteria can turn mice less attractive to mosquito bites for 11 days. This could pave the way for developing living mosquito repellents, reports a new study.

The findings of the study are published in the journal PNAS Nexus ().

Mosquito Diseases
Mosquito-borne diseases, like malaria, filaria, dengue, etc are common in places conducive of mosquito breeding. Swamps, ponds and stagnated drainage provide optimal breeding ground for mosquitoes.

‘Two genetically engineered human skin bacteria (Staphylococcus epidermidis and Corynebacterium amycolatum) could reduce mosquito attraction for 11 days. #MosquitoRepellents #Mosquito_borneDisease’

Life-threatening Mosquito-Borne Diseases

Mosquitoes transmit a host of deadly diseases, including malaria, West Nile, dengue, yellow fever, and Zika.

Female mosquitoes on the hunt for a blood meal tune into scents released by skin microbes that live on their targets.

Engineered Skin Microbes: The Living Mosquito Repellent

Omar Akbari and colleagues engineered versions of the common human skin commensals Staphylococcus epidermidis and Corynebacterium amycolatum to produce much less of a form of lactic acid known to attract mosquitoes.

Top 10 Plants that Repel Mosquitoes Naturally
Growing mosquito repellent plants, helps in naturally protecting the area from mosquitoes and pests, thereby reducing incidence of mosquito-borne diseases.

The authors tested the microbes alone and found the engineered version of S. epidermidis attracted about half as many Aedes aegypti and Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes and about 22% fewer Culex quinquefasciatus as the wildtype versions of the microbes.

The authors also tried the engineered microbes on mice. Painting the mice with wildtype S. epidermidis attracted mosquitos. However, painting the mice with engineered S. epidermidis reduced mosquito attraction by up to 64.4%, compared with wildtype, starting three days after the microbe was applied. The effect lasted for 11 days.

Mosquitoes can Become Smart Enough to Sense Insect Repellents — Here’s How
Scientists have revealed the process that makes mosquitoes resistant to ignore the common insect repellents.

Trials with engineered C. amycolatum had similar results. In addition, a smaller proportion of mosquitoes that landed on mice painted with engineered microbes bit the mice.

According to the authors, the results suggest the feasibility of creating a living and long-lasting engineered microbiome-based mosquito repellent.

Dengue
Dengue is a tropical disease caused by mosquitoes carrying the dengue virus. Symptoms include fever, joint & muscle ache, fatigue, nausea and skin rash.

Reference:

Engineered skin microbiome reduces mosquito attraction to mice - (https://academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/article/3/7/pgae267/7717706)

Source-Eurekalert