/ en Thu, 26 Mar 26 14:46:57 -0400 /news/malaria-transmitting-mosquitoes-south-america-are-evolving-evade-insecticides <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"><h1>Malaria-transmitting mosquitoes in South America are evolving to evade insecticides</h1> </span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"> <span>By Tom Ulrich</span> </span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2026-03-26T14:46:57-04:00" class="datetime">March 26, 2026</time> </span> <div class="hero-section container"> <div class="hero-section__row row"> <div class="hero-section__content hero-section__content_left col-6"> <div class="hero-section__breadcrumbs"> <div class="block block-system block-system-breadcrumb-block"> <nav class="breadcrumb" role="navigation" aria-labelledby="system-breadcrumb"> <h2 id="system-breadcrumb" class="visually-hidden">Breadcrumb</h2> <ol> <li> <a href="/">Home</a> </li> <li> <a href="/news">News</a> </li> </ol> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__title"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storytitle"> <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"><h1>Malaria-transmitting mosquitoes in South America are evolving to evade insecticides</h1> </span> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__description"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storybody"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Sequencing of complete genomes of <em>Anopheles darlingi</em> mosquitoes in the Americas finds resistance may make them harder to kill.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__author"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-extra-field-blocknodelong-storyextra-field-author-custom"> By Maya Brownstein, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__date"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storycreated"> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2026-03-26T14:46:57-04:00" title="Thursday, March 26, 2026 - 14:46" class="datetime">March 26, 2026</time> </span> </div> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__right col-6"> <div class="hero-section__image"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storyfield-image"> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-multiple-content-types-header"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <picture> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_desktop_xl/public/longstory/Anopheles%20darlingi%20%28credit%20Romuald%20Carinci%29_crop.png?h=ae0fde30&itok=Q75Jytx4 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1921px)" type="image/png" width="754" height="503"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_desktop_xl/public/longstory/Anopheles%20darlingi%20%28credit%20Romuald%20Carinci%29_crop.png?h=ae0fde30&itok=Q75Jytx4 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1601px) and (max-width: 1920px)" type="image/png" width="754" height="503"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_desktop/public/longstory/Anopheles%20darlingi%20%28credit%20Romuald%20Carinci%29_crop.png?h=ae0fde30&itok=hAVPkg08 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1340px) and (max-width: 1600px)" type="image/png" width="736" height="520"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_laptop/public/longstory/Anopheles%20darlingi%20%28credit%20Romuald%20Carinci%29_crop.png?h=ae0fde30&itok=K8EznJHt 1x" media="all and (min-width: 800px) and (max-width: 1339px)" type="image/png" width="641" height="451"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_tablet/public/longstory/Anopheles%20darlingi%20%28credit%20Romuald%20Carinci%29_crop.png?h=ae0fde30&itok=veCLtfAm 1x" media="all and (min-width: 540px) and (max-width: 799px)" type="image/png" width="706" height="417"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_phone/public/longstory/Anopheles%20darlingi%20%28credit%20Romuald%20Carinci%29_crop.png?h=ae0fde30&itok=SBneEaiA 1x" media="all and (max-width: 539px)" type="image/png" width="499" height="294"/> <img loading="eager" width="499" height="294" src="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_phone/public/longstory/Anopheles%20darlingi%20%28credit%20Romuald%20Carinci%29_crop.png?h=ae0fde30&itok=SBneEaiA" alt="Close-up of an Anopheles darlingi mosquito perched on human skin, its long legs and proboscis extended as it feeds; detailed body and wings visible against a soft green background." title="Close-up of an Anopheles darlingi mosquito perched on human skin, its long legs and proboscis extended as it feeds; detailed body and wings visible against a soft green background." typeof="foaf:Image" /> </picture> </div> <div class="media-caption"> <div class="media-caption__credit"> Credit: Romuald Carinci </div> <div class="media-caption__description"> <p>An <em>Anopheles darlingi</em> mosquito</p> </div> </div> </article> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="content-section container"> <div class="content-section__main"> <div class="block block-better-social-sharing-buttons block-social-sharing-buttons-block"> <div style="display: none"><link rel="preload" href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg" as="image" type="image/svg+xml" crossorigin="anonymous" /></div> <div class="social-sharing-buttons"> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=/taxonomy/term/698/feed&title=" target="_blank" title="Share to Facebook" aria-label="Share to Facebook" class="social-sharing-buttons-button share-facebook" rel="noopener"> <svg aria-hidden="true" width="32px" height="32px" style="border-radius:100%;"> <use href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg#facebook" /> </svg> </a> <a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=+/taxonomy/term/698/feed" target="_blank" title="Share to X" aria-label="Share to X" class="social-sharing-buttons-button share-x" rel="noopener"> <svg aria-hidden="true" width="32px" height="32px" style="border-radius:100%;"> <use href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg#x" /> </svg> </a> <a href="mailto:?subject=&body=/taxonomy/term/698/feed" title="Share to Email" aria-label="Share to Email" class="social-sharing-buttons-button share-email" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> <svg aria-hidden="true" width="32px" height="32px" style="border-radius:100%;"> <use href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg#email" /> </svg> </a> </div> </div> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storyfield-content-paragraphs"> <div class="field field--name-field-content-paragraphs field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--text-narrow paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><div class="clearfix" style="background-color:#f3f3f3;font-family:Open Sans;margin-bottom:2em;padding:2em;"> <h3>Highlights</h3> <ul> <li aria-level="1" data-list-item-id="e02d681cfd387590d90f5e03ede36d394"><em>Anopheles darlingi</em> mosquitoes — a major vector of malaria in South America — are evolving in response to insecticides, which may make them harder to kill and malaria more difficult to control on the continent and around the world. </li> <li aria-level="1" data-list-item-id="e7ca45070288c75bbd556fd466d25b57d">A new study is the first to sequence a large number (>1000) of complete genomes of <em>Anopheles</em> mosquitoes in the Americas, where malaria remains stubbornly persistent.</li> <li aria-level="1" data-list-item-id="e50c58551d1ab4a2024f6cfefa15b601f">The findings contribute to a knowledge base that could help improve methods for controlling malaria and provide a template for needed additional research on other <em>Anopheles</em> species in the Americas.</li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--text-narrow paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p><em>Anopheles darlingi</em> mosquitoes — a major vector of malaria in South America—are evolving in response to insecticides, which may make them harder to kill and malaria more difficult to control, according to a new study led by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the Ó³»­´«Ã½.</p> <p>Published in <a target="_blank" href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adw9761"><em>Science</em></a>, the study is the first to sequence a large number (>1,000) of complete <em>Anopheles</em> genomes from the Americas, where there are more than 600,000 cases of malaria annually, mostly in Brazil, Colombia, and Venezuela.</p> <p>"Malaria remains stubbornly persistent in South America, and there is a risk that dangerous drug-resistant strains of the malaria parasite could evolve in the Americas and then spread elsewhere," said corresponding author Jacob Tennessen, who is a research scientist at Harvard Chan School and an associated scientist at Ó³»­´«Ã½. "Our study plays a major role in revealing the evolutionary dynamics of a primary malaria vector, providing new insights into <em>Anopheles darlingi</em> biology that could help improve methods for blocking disease transmission."</p> <p>Prior studies of <em>A. darlingi</em> population genetics have used sets of genetic markers but not the whole genome. For this study, the researchers generated whole genome sequences for 1,094 adult female <em>A. darlingi</em> mosquitoes from 16 locations — including forests, wetlands, grasslands, farming and mining areas, and cities — across six South American countries: French Guiana, Brazil, Guyana, Peru, Venezuela, and Colombia.</p> <p>Importantly, the data revealed that this species is evolving to evade insecticides. "Insecticide resistance has only been sporadically documented in <em>Anopheles darlingi</em>, which have not been subject to intensive insecticide-heavy campaigns like those elsewhere in the world," Tennessen said. "We were not expecting to see resistance-related genes evolving as much as we did, and in so many different countries. Resistance may be driven by agricultural insecticides rather than those used for vector control specifically."</p> <p>The researchers also found extensive genetic divergence among <em>A. darlingi</em> mosquitoes across the continent — for example, between those in Guyana versus Venezuela — and observed that the species is well poised to adapt to changes in its environment.</p> <p>According to the researchers, the study is a milestone for vector biology in the Americas and provides a template for future studies of other <em>Anopheles</em> species in the region. While the study findings contribute to a knowledge base that can inform malaria control efforts, "this was basic research rather than an applied study," said senior author <a href="/bios/daniel-neafsey">Daniel Neafsey</a>, associate professor of immunology and infectious diseases at Harvard Chan School and an associate member in Ó³»­´«Ã½'s Genomic Center for Infectious Diseases and <a href="/infectious-disease-microbiome">Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program</a>. "Additional research is required before any policy changes are implemented."</p> <p><em>Adapted from </em><a target="_blank" href="https://hsph.harvard.edu/news/malaria-transmitting-mosquitoes-in-south-america-evolving-to-evade-insecticides/"><em>a press release</em></a><em> issued by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.</em></p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--table-outro paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="field field--name-field-paragraph field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--table-outro-row paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-heading field--type-text field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Paper cited</p> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Tennessen JA, et al. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adw9761">Population genomics of <em>Anopheles darlingi</em>, the principal South American malaria vector mosquito.</a> <em>Science</em>. Online March 26, 2026. DOI: 10.1126/science.adw9761.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--table-outro-row paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-heading field--type-text field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Funding</p> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Support for this study was provided by the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Agence Nationale de la Recherche, and the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="content-section container"> <div class="content-section__main"> <div class="block-node-broad-tags block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storyfield-broad-tags"> <div class="block-node-broad-tags__row"> <div class="block-node-broad-tags__title">Tags:</div> <div class="field field--name-field-broad-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/broad-tags/infectious-disease-and-microbiome-0" hreflang="en">Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/broad-tags/infectious-disease" hreflang="en">Infectious Disease</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Thu, 26 Mar 2026 18:46:57 +0000 tulrich@broadinstitute.org 5560321 at /news/gut-bacteria-rewire-fat-tissue-burn-more-energy <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"><h1>Malaria-transmitting mosquitoes in South America are evolving to evade insecticides</h1> </span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"> <span>By Tom Ulrich</span> </span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2026-03-26T14:46:57-04:00" class="datetime">March 26, 2026</time> </span> <div class="hero-section container"> <div class="hero-section__row row"> <div class="hero-section__content hero-section__content_left col-6"> <div class="hero-section__breadcrumbs"> <div class="block block-system block-system-breadcrumb-block"> <nav class="breadcrumb" role="navigation" aria-labelledby="system-breadcrumb"> <h2 id="system-breadcrumb" class="visually-hidden">Breadcrumb</h2> <ol> <li> <a href="/">Home</a> </li> <li> <a href="/news">News</a> </li> </ol> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__title"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storytitle"> <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"><h1>Malaria-transmitting mosquitoes in South America are evolving to evade insecticides</h1> </span> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__description"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storybody"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Sequencing of complete genomes of <em>Anopheles darlingi</em> mosquitoes in the Americas finds resistance may make them harder to kill.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__author"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-extra-field-blocknodelong-storyextra-field-author-custom"> By Maya Brownstein, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__date"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storycreated"> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2026-03-26T14:46:57-04:00" title="Thursday, March 26, 2026 - 14:46" class="datetime">March 26, 2026</time> </span> </div> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__right col-6"> <div class="hero-section__image"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storyfield-image"> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-multiple-content-types-header"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <picture> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_desktop_xl/public/longstory/Anopheles%20darlingi%20%28credit%20Romuald%20Carinci%29_crop.png?h=ae0fde30&itok=Q75Jytx4 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1921px)" type="image/png" width="754" height="503"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_desktop_xl/public/longstory/Anopheles%20darlingi%20%28credit%20Romuald%20Carinci%29_crop.png?h=ae0fde30&itok=Q75Jytx4 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1601px) and (max-width: 1920px)" type="image/png" width="754" height="503"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_desktop/public/longstory/Anopheles%20darlingi%20%28credit%20Romuald%20Carinci%29_crop.png?h=ae0fde30&itok=hAVPkg08 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1340px) and (max-width: 1600px)" type="image/png" width="736" height="520"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_laptop/public/longstory/Anopheles%20darlingi%20%28credit%20Romuald%20Carinci%29_crop.png?h=ae0fde30&itok=K8EznJHt 1x" media="all and (min-width: 800px) and (max-width: 1339px)" type="image/png" width="641" height="451"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_tablet/public/longstory/Anopheles%20darlingi%20%28credit%20Romuald%20Carinci%29_crop.png?h=ae0fde30&itok=veCLtfAm 1x" media="all and (min-width: 540px) and (max-width: 799px)" type="image/png" width="706" height="417"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_phone/public/longstory/Anopheles%20darlingi%20%28credit%20Romuald%20Carinci%29_crop.png?h=ae0fde30&itok=SBneEaiA 1x" media="all and (max-width: 539px)" type="image/png" width="499" height="294"/> <img loading="eager" width="499" height="294" src="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_phone/public/longstory/Anopheles%20darlingi%20%28credit%20Romuald%20Carinci%29_crop.png?h=ae0fde30&itok=SBneEaiA" alt="Close-up of an Anopheles darlingi mosquito perched on human skin, its long legs and proboscis extended as it feeds; detailed body and wings visible against a soft green background." title="Close-up of an Anopheles darlingi mosquito perched on human skin, its long legs and proboscis extended as it feeds; detailed body and wings visible against a soft green background." typeof="foaf:Image" /> </picture> </div> <div class="media-caption"> <div class="media-caption__credit"> Credit: Romuald Carinci </div> <div class="media-caption__description"> <p>An <em>Anopheles darlingi</em> mosquito</p> </div> </div> </article> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="content-section container"> <div class="content-section__main"> <div class="block block-better-social-sharing-buttons block-social-sharing-buttons-block"> <div style="display: none"><link rel="preload" href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg" as="image" type="image/svg+xml" crossorigin="anonymous" /></div> <div class="social-sharing-buttons"> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=/taxonomy/term/698/feed&title=" target="_blank" title="Share to Facebook" aria-label="Share to Facebook" class="social-sharing-buttons-button share-facebook" rel="noopener"> <svg aria-hidden="true" width="32px" height="32px" style="border-radius:100%;"> <use href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg#facebook" /> </svg> </a> <a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=+/taxonomy/term/698/feed" target="_blank" title="Share to X" aria-label="Share to X" class="social-sharing-buttons-button share-x" rel="noopener"> <svg aria-hidden="true" width="32px" height="32px" style="border-radius:100%;"> <use href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg#x" /> </svg> </a> <a href="mailto:?subject=&body=/taxonomy/term/698/feed" title="Share to Email" aria-label="Share to Email" class="social-sharing-buttons-button share-email" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> <svg aria-hidden="true" width="32px" height="32px" style="border-radius:100%;"> <use href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg#email" /> </svg> </a> </div> </div> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storyfield-content-paragraphs"> <div class="field field--name-field-content-paragraphs field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--text-narrow paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><div class="clearfix" style="background-color:#f3f3f3;font-family:Open Sans;margin-bottom:2em;padding:2em;"> <h3>Highlights</h3> <ul> <li aria-level="1" data-list-item-id="e02d681cfd387590d90f5e03ede36d394"><em>Anopheles darlingi</em> mosquitoes — a major vector of malaria in South America — are evolving in response to insecticides, which may make them harder to kill and malaria more difficult to control on the continent and around the world. </li> <li aria-level="1" data-list-item-id="e7ca45070288c75bbd556fd466d25b57d">A new study is the first to sequence a large number (>1000) of complete genomes of <em>Anopheles</em> mosquitoes in the Americas, where malaria remains stubbornly persistent.</li> <li aria-level="1" data-list-item-id="e50c58551d1ab4a2024f6cfefa15b601f">The findings contribute to a knowledge base that could help improve methods for controlling malaria and provide a template for needed additional research on other <em>Anopheles</em> species in the Americas.</li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--text-narrow paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p><em>Anopheles darlingi</em> mosquitoes — a major vector of malaria in South America—are evolving in response to insecticides, which may make them harder to kill and malaria more difficult to control, according to a new study led by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the Ó³»­´«Ã½.</p> <p>Published in <a target="_blank" href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adw9761"><em>Science</em></a>, the study is the first to sequence a large number (>1,000) of complete <em>Anopheles</em> genomes from the Americas, where there are more than 600,000 cases of malaria annually, mostly in Brazil, Colombia, and Venezuela.</p> <p>"Malaria remains stubbornly persistent in South America, and there is a risk that dangerous drug-resistant strains of the malaria parasite could evolve in the Americas and then spread elsewhere," said corresponding author Jacob Tennessen, who is a research scientist at Harvard Chan School and an associated scientist at Ó³»­´«Ã½. "Our study plays a major role in revealing the evolutionary dynamics of a primary malaria vector, providing new insights into <em>Anopheles darlingi</em> biology that could help improve methods for blocking disease transmission."</p> <p>Prior studies of <em>A. darlingi</em> population genetics have used sets of genetic markers but not the whole genome. For this study, the researchers generated whole genome sequences for 1,094 adult female <em>A. darlingi</em> mosquitoes from 16 locations — including forests, wetlands, grasslands, farming and mining areas, and cities — across six South American countries: French Guiana, Brazil, Guyana, Peru, Venezuela, and Colombia.</p> <p>Importantly, the data revealed that this species is evolving to evade insecticides. "Insecticide resistance has only been sporadically documented in <em>Anopheles darlingi</em>, which have not been subject to intensive insecticide-heavy campaigns like those elsewhere in the world," Tennessen said. "We were not expecting to see resistance-related genes evolving as much as we did, and in so many different countries. Resistance may be driven by agricultural insecticides rather than those used for vector control specifically."</p> <p>The researchers also found extensive genetic divergence among <em>A. darlingi</em> mosquitoes across the continent — for example, between those in Guyana versus Venezuela — and observed that the species is well poised to adapt to changes in its environment.</p> <p>According to the researchers, the study is a milestone for vector biology in the Americas and provides a template for future studies of other <em>Anopheles</em> species in the region. While the study findings contribute to a knowledge base that can inform malaria control efforts, "this was basic research rather than an applied study," said senior author <a href="/bios/daniel-neafsey">Daniel Neafsey</a>, associate professor of immunology and infectious diseases at Harvard Chan School and an associate member in Ó³»­´«Ã½'s Genomic Center for Infectious Diseases and <a href="/infectious-disease-microbiome">Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program</a>. "Additional research is required before any policy changes are implemented."</p> <p><em>Adapted from </em><a target="_blank" href="https://hsph.harvard.edu/news/malaria-transmitting-mosquitoes-in-south-america-evolving-to-evade-insecticides/"><em>a press release</em></a><em> issued by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.</em></p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--table-outro paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="field field--name-field-paragraph field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--table-outro-row paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-heading field--type-text field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Paper cited</p> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Tennessen JA, et al. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adw9761">Population genomics of <em>Anopheles darlingi</em>, the principal South American malaria vector mosquito.</a> <em>Science</em>. Online March 26, 2026. DOI: 10.1126/science.adw9761.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--table-outro-row paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-heading field--type-text field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Funding</p> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Support for this study was provided by the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Agence Nationale de la Recherche, and the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="content-section container"> <div class="content-section__main"> <div class="block-node-broad-tags block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storyfield-broad-tags"> <div class="block-node-broad-tags__row"> <div class="block-node-broad-tags__title">Tags:</div> <div class="field field--name-field-broad-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/broad-tags/infectious-disease-and-microbiome-0" hreflang="en">Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/broad-tags/infectious-disease" hreflang="en">Infectious Disease</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Wed, 04 Mar 2026 16:37:06 +0000 Corie Lok 5560201 at /news/using-ai-researchers-design-new-compounds-kill-antibiotic-resistant-bacteria <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"><h1>Malaria-transmitting mosquitoes in South America are evolving to evade insecticides</h1> </span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"> <span>By Tom Ulrich</span> </span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2026-03-26T14:46:57-04:00" class="datetime">March 26, 2026</time> </span> <div class="hero-section container"> <div class="hero-section__row row"> <div class="hero-section__content hero-section__content_left col-6"> <div class="hero-section__breadcrumbs"> <div class="block block-system block-system-breadcrumb-block"> <nav class="breadcrumb" role="navigation" aria-labelledby="system-breadcrumb"> <h2 id="system-breadcrumb" class="visually-hidden">Breadcrumb</h2> <ol> <li> <a href="/">Home</a> </li> <li> <a href="/news">News</a> </li> </ol> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__title"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storytitle"> <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"><h1>Malaria-transmitting mosquitoes in South America are evolving to evade insecticides</h1> </span> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__description"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storybody"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Sequencing of complete genomes of <em>Anopheles darlingi</em> mosquitoes in the Americas finds resistance may make them harder to kill.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__author"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-extra-field-blocknodelong-storyextra-field-author-custom"> By Maya Brownstein, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__date"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storycreated"> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2026-03-26T14:46:57-04:00" title="Thursday, March 26, 2026 - 14:46" class="datetime">March 26, 2026</time> </span> </div> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__right col-6"> <div class="hero-section__image"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storyfield-image"> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-multiple-content-types-header"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <picture> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_desktop_xl/public/longstory/Anopheles%20darlingi%20%28credit%20Romuald%20Carinci%29_crop.png?h=ae0fde30&itok=Q75Jytx4 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1921px)" type="image/png" width="754" height="503"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_desktop_xl/public/longstory/Anopheles%20darlingi%20%28credit%20Romuald%20Carinci%29_crop.png?h=ae0fde30&itok=Q75Jytx4 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1601px) and (max-width: 1920px)" type="image/png" width="754" height="503"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_desktop/public/longstory/Anopheles%20darlingi%20%28credit%20Romuald%20Carinci%29_crop.png?h=ae0fde30&itok=hAVPkg08 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1340px) and (max-width: 1600px)" type="image/png" width="736" height="520"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_laptop/public/longstory/Anopheles%20darlingi%20%28credit%20Romuald%20Carinci%29_crop.png?h=ae0fde30&itok=K8EznJHt 1x" media="all and (min-width: 800px) and (max-width: 1339px)" type="image/png" width="641" height="451"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_tablet/public/longstory/Anopheles%20darlingi%20%28credit%20Romuald%20Carinci%29_crop.png?h=ae0fde30&itok=veCLtfAm 1x" media="all and (min-width: 540px) and (max-width: 799px)" type="image/png" width="706" height="417"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_phone/public/longstory/Anopheles%20darlingi%20%28credit%20Romuald%20Carinci%29_crop.png?h=ae0fde30&itok=SBneEaiA 1x" media="all and (max-width: 539px)" type="image/png" width="499" height="294"/> <img loading="eager" width="499" height="294" src="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_phone/public/longstory/Anopheles%20darlingi%20%28credit%20Romuald%20Carinci%29_crop.png?h=ae0fde30&itok=SBneEaiA" alt="Close-up of an Anopheles darlingi mosquito perched on human skin, its long legs and proboscis extended as it feeds; detailed body and wings visible against a soft green background." title="Close-up of an Anopheles darlingi mosquito perched on human skin, its long legs and proboscis extended as it feeds; detailed body and wings visible against a soft green background." typeof="foaf:Image" /> </picture> </div> <div class="media-caption"> <div class="media-caption__credit"> Credit: Romuald Carinci </div> <div class="media-caption__description"> <p>An <em>Anopheles darlingi</em> mosquito</p> </div> </div> </article> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="content-section container"> <div class="content-section__main"> <div class="block block-better-social-sharing-buttons block-social-sharing-buttons-block"> <div style="display: none"><link rel="preload" href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg" as="image" type="image/svg+xml" crossorigin="anonymous" /></div> <div class="social-sharing-buttons"> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=/taxonomy/term/698/feed&title=" target="_blank" title="Share to Facebook" aria-label="Share to Facebook" class="social-sharing-buttons-button share-facebook" rel="noopener"> <svg aria-hidden="true" width="32px" height="32px" style="border-radius:100%;"> <use href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg#facebook" /> </svg> </a> <a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=+/taxonomy/term/698/feed" target="_blank" title="Share to X" aria-label="Share to X" class="social-sharing-buttons-button share-x" rel="noopener"> <svg aria-hidden="true" width="32px" height="32px" style="border-radius:100%;"> <use href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg#x" /> </svg> </a> <a href="mailto:?subject=&body=/taxonomy/term/698/feed" title="Share to Email" aria-label="Share to Email" class="social-sharing-buttons-button share-email" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> <svg aria-hidden="true" width="32px" height="32px" style="border-radius:100%;"> <use href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg#email" /> </svg> </a> </div> </div> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storyfield-content-paragraphs"> <div class="field field--name-field-content-paragraphs field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--text-narrow paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><div class="clearfix" style="background-color:#f3f3f3;font-family:Open Sans;margin-bottom:2em;padding:2em;"> <h3>Highlights</h3> <ul> <li aria-level="1" data-list-item-id="e02d681cfd387590d90f5e03ede36d394"><em>Anopheles darlingi</em> mosquitoes — a major vector of malaria in South America — are evolving in response to insecticides, which may make them harder to kill and malaria more difficult to control on the continent and around the world. </li> <li aria-level="1" data-list-item-id="e7ca45070288c75bbd556fd466d25b57d">A new study is the first to sequence a large number (>1000) of complete genomes of <em>Anopheles</em> mosquitoes in the Americas, where malaria remains stubbornly persistent.</li> <li aria-level="1" data-list-item-id="e50c58551d1ab4a2024f6cfefa15b601f">The findings contribute to a knowledge base that could help improve methods for controlling malaria and provide a template for needed additional research on other <em>Anopheles</em> species in the Americas.</li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--text-narrow paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p><em>Anopheles darlingi</em> mosquitoes — a major vector of malaria in South America—are evolving in response to insecticides, which may make them harder to kill and malaria more difficult to control, according to a new study led by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the Ó³»­´«Ã½.</p> <p>Published in <a target="_blank" href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adw9761"><em>Science</em></a>, the study is the first to sequence a large number (>1,000) of complete <em>Anopheles</em> genomes from the Americas, where there are more than 600,000 cases of malaria annually, mostly in Brazil, Colombia, and Venezuela.</p> <p>"Malaria remains stubbornly persistent in South America, and there is a risk that dangerous drug-resistant strains of the malaria parasite could evolve in the Americas and then spread elsewhere," said corresponding author Jacob Tennessen, who is a research scientist at Harvard Chan School and an associated scientist at Ó³»­´«Ã½. "Our study plays a major role in revealing the evolutionary dynamics of a primary malaria vector, providing new insights into <em>Anopheles darlingi</em> biology that could help improve methods for blocking disease transmission."</p> <p>Prior studies of <em>A. darlingi</em> population genetics have used sets of genetic markers but not the whole genome. For this study, the researchers generated whole genome sequences for 1,094 adult female <em>A. darlingi</em> mosquitoes from 16 locations — including forests, wetlands, grasslands, farming and mining areas, and cities — across six South American countries: French Guiana, Brazil, Guyana, Peru, Venezuela, and Colombia.</p> <p>Importantly, the data revealed that this species is evolving to evade insecticides. "Insecticide resistance has only been sporadically documented in <em>Anopheles darlingi</em>, which have not been subject to intensive insecticide-heavy campaigns like those elsewhere in the world," Tennessen said. "We were not expecting to see resistance-related genes evolving as much as we did, and in so many different countries. Resistance may be driven by agricultural insecticides rather than those used for vector control specifically."</p> <p>The researchers also found extensive genetic divergence among <em>A. darlingi</em> mosquitoes across the continent — for example, between those in Guyana versus Venezuela — and observed that the species is well poised to adapt to changes in its environment.</p> <p>According to the researchers, the study is a milestone for vector biology in the Americas and provides a template for future studies of other <em>Anopheles</em> species in the region. While the study findings contribute to a knowledge base that can inform malaria control efforts, "this was basic research rather than an applied study," said senior author <a href="/bios/daniel-neafsey">Daniel Neafsey</a>, associate professor of immunology and infectious diseases at Harvard Chan School and an associate member in Ó³»­´«Ã½'s Genomic Center for Infectious Diseases and <a href="/infectious-disease-microbiome">Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program</a>. "Additional research is required before any policy changes are implemented."</p> <p><em>Adapted from </em><a target="_blank" href="https://hsph.harvard.edu/news/malaria-transmitting-mosquitoes-in-south-america-evolving-to-evade-insecticides/"><em>a press release</em></a><em> issued by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.</em></p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--table-outro paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="field field--name-field-paragraph field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--table-outro-row paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-heading field--type-text field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Paper cited</p> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Tennessen JA, et al. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adw9761">Population genomics of <em>Anopheles darlingi</em>, the principal South American malaria vector mosquito.</a> <em>Science</em>. Online March 26, 2026. DOI: 10.1126/science.adw9761.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--table-outro-row paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-heading field--type-text field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Funding</p> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Support for this study was provided by the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Agence Nationale de la Recherche, and the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="content-section container"> <div class="content-section__main"> <div class="block-node-broad-tags block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storyfield-broad-tags"> <div class="block-node-broad-tags__row"> <div class="block-node-broad-tags__title">Tags:</div> <div class="field field--name-field-broad-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/broad-tags/infectious-disease-and-microbiome-0" hreflang="en">Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/broad-tags/infectious-disease" hreflang="en">Infectious Disease</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Fri, 15 Aug 2025 13:02:05 +0000 tulrich@broadinstitute.org 5559321 at /news/sentinel-program-among-finalists-100-million-100change-competition <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"><h1>Malaria-transmitting mosquitoes in South America are evolving to evade insecticides</h1> </span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"> <span>By Tom Ulrich</span> </span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2026-03-26T14:46:57-04:00" class="datetime">March 26, 2026</time> </span> <div class="hero-section container"> <div class="hero-section__row row"> <div class="hero-section__content hero-section__content_left col-6"> <div class="hero-section__breadcrumbs"> <div class="block block-system block-system-breadcrumb-block"> <nav class="breadcrumb" role="navigation" aria-labelledby="system-breadcrumb"> <h2 id="system-breadcrumb" class="visually-hidden">Breadcrumb</h2> <ol> <li> <a href="/">Home</a> </li> <li> <a href="/news">News</a> </li> </ol> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__title"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storytitle"> <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"><h1>Malaria-transmitting mosquitoes in South America are evolving to evade insecticides</h1> </span> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__description"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storybody"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Sequencing of complete genomes of <em>Anopheles darlingi</em> mosquitoes in the Americas finds resistance may make them harder to kill.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__author"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-extra-field-blocknodelong-storyextra-field-author-custom"> By Maya Brownstein, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__date"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storycreated"> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2026-03-26T14:46:57-04:00" title="Thursday, March 26, 2026 - 14:46" class="datetime">March 26, 2026</time> </span> </div> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__right col-6"> <div class="hero-section__image"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storyfield-image"> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-multiple-content-types-header"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <picture> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_desktop_xl/public/longstory/Anopheles%20darlingi%20%28credit%20Romuald%20Carinci%29_crop.png?h=ae0fde30&itok=Q75Jytx4 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1921px)" type="image/png" width="754" height="503"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_desktop_xl/public/longstory/Anopheles%20darlingi%20%28credit%20Romuald%20Carinci%29_crop.png?h=ae0fde30&itok=Q75Jytx4 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1601px) and (max-width: 1920px)" type="image/png" width="754" height="503"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_desktop/public/longstory/Anopheles%20darlingi%20%28credit%20Romuald%20Carinci%29_crop.png?h=ae0fde30&itok=hAVPkg08 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1340px) and (max-width: 1600px)" type="image/png" width="736" height="520"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_laptop/public/longstory/Anopheles%20darlingi%20%28credit%20Romuald%20Carinci%29_crop.png?h=ae0fde30&itok=K8EznJHt 1x" media="all and (min-width: 800px) and (max-width: 1339px)" type="image/png" width="641" height="451"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_tablet/public/longstory/Anopheles%20darlingi%20%28credit%20Romuald%20Carinci%29_crop.png?h=ae0fde30&itok=veCLtfAm 1x" media="all and (min-width: 540px) and (max-width: 799px)" type="image/png" width="706" height="417"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_phone/public/longstory/Anopheles%20darlingi%20%28credit%20Romuald%20Carinci%29_crop.png?h=ae0fde30&itok=SBneEaiA 1x" media="all and (max-width: 539px)" type="image/png" width="499" height="294"/> <img loading="eager" width="499" height="294" src="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_phone/public/longstory/Anopheles%20darlingi%20%28credit%20Romuald%20Carinci%29_crop.png?h=ae0fde30&itok=SBneEaiA" alt="Close-up of an Anopheles darlingi mosquito perched on human skin, its long legs and proboscis extended as it feeds; detailed body and wings visible against a soft green background." title="Close-up of an Anopheles darlingi mosquito perched on human skin, its long legs and proboscis extended as it feeds; detailed body and wings visible against a soft green background." typeof="foaf:Image" /> </picture> </div> <div class="media-caption"> <div class="media-caption__credit"> Credit: Romuald Carinci </div> <div class="media-caption__description"> <p>An <em>Anopheles darlingi</em> mosquito</p> </div> </div> </article> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="content-section container"> <div class="content-section__main"> <div class="block block-better-social-sharing-buttons block-social-sharing-buttons-block"> <div style="display: none"><link rel="preload" href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg" as="image" type="image/svg+xml" crossorigin="anonymous" /></div> <div class="social-sharing-buttons"> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=/taxonomy/term/698/feed&title=" target="_blank" title="Share to Facebook" aria-label="Share to Facebook" class="social-sharing-buttons-button share-facebook" rel="noopener"> <svg aria-hidden="true" width="32px" height="32px" style="border-radius:100%;"> <use href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg#facebook" /> </svg> </a> <a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=+/taxonomy/term/698/feed" target="_blank" title="Share to X" aria-label="Share to X" class="social-sharing-buttons-button share-x" rel="noopener"> <svg aria-hidden="true" width="32px" height="32px" style="border-radius:100%;"> <use href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg#x" /> </svg> </a> <a href="mailto:?subject=&body=/taxonomy/term/698/feed" title="Share to Email" aria-label="Share to Email" class="social-sharing-buttons-button share-email" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> <svg aria-hidden="true" width="32px" height="32px" style="border-radius:100%;"> <use href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg#email" /> </svg> </a> </div> </div> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storyfield-content-paragraphs"> <div class="field field--name-field-content-paragraphs field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--text-narrow paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><div class="clearfix" style="background-color:#f3f3f3;font-family:Open Sans;margin-bottom:2em;padding:2em;"> <h3>Highlights</h3> <ul> <li aria-level="1" data-list-item-id="e02d681cfd387590d90f5e03ede36d394"><em>Anopheles darlingi</em> mosquitoes — a major vector of malaria in South America — are evolving in response to insecticides, which may make them harder to kill and malaria more difficult to control on the continent and around the world. </li> <li aria-level="1" data-list-item-id="e7ca45070288c75bbd556fd466d25b57d">A new study is the first to sequence a large number (>1000) of complete genomes of <em>Anopheles</em> mosquitoes in the Americas, where malaria remains stubbornly persistent.</li> <li aria-level="1" data-list-item-id="e50c58551d1ab4a2024f6cfefa15b601f">The findings contribute to a knowledge base that could help improve methods for controlling malaria and provide a template for needed additional research on other <em>Anopheles</em> species in the Americas.</li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--text-narrow paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p><em>Anopheles darlingi</em> mosquitoes — a major vector of malaria in South America—are evolving in response to insecticides, which may make them harder to kill and malaria more difficult to control, according to a new study led by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the Ó³»­´«Ã½.</p> <p>Published in <a target="_blank" href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adw9761"><em>Science</em></a>, the study is the first to sequence a large number (>1,000) of complete <em>Anopheles</em> genomes from the Americas, where there are more than 600,000 cases of malaria annually, mostly in Brazil, Colombia, and Venezuela.</p> <p>"Malaria remains stubbornly persistent in South America, and there is a risk that dangerous drug-resistant strains of the malaria parasite could evolve in the Americas and then spread elsewhere," said corresponding author Jacob Tennessen, who is a research scientist at Harvard Chan School and an associated scientist at Ó³»­´«Ã½. "Our study plays a major role in revealing the evolutionary dynamics of a primary malaria vector, providing new insights into <em>Anopheles darlingi</em> biology that could help improve methods for blocking disease transmission."</p> <p>Prior studies of <em>A. darlingi</em> population genetics have used sets of genetic markers but not the whole genome. For this study, the researchers generated whole genome sequences for 1,094 adult female <em>A. darlingi</em> mosquitoes from 16 locations — including forests, wetlands, grasslands, farming and mining areas, and cities — across six South American countries: French Guiana, Brazil, Guyana, Peru, Venezuela, and Colombia.</p> <p>Importantly, the data revealed that this species is evolving to evade insecticides. "Insecticide resistance has only been sporadically documented in <em>Anopheles darlingi</em>, which have not been subject to intensive insecticide-heavy campaigns like those elsewhere in the world," Tennessen said. "We were not expecting to see resistance-related genes evolving as much as we did, and in so many different countries. Resistance may be driven by agricultural insecticides rather than those used for vector control specifically."</p> <p>The researchers also found extensive genetic divergence among <em>A. darlingi</em> mosquitoes across the continent — for example, between those in Guyana versus Venezuela — and observed that the species is well poised to adapt to changes in its environment.</p> <p>According to the researchers, the study is a milestone for vector biology in the Americas and provides a template for future studies of other <em>Anopheles</em> species in the region. While the study findings contribute to a knowledge base that can inform malaria control efforts, "this was basic research rather than an applied study," said senior author <a href="/bios/daniel-neafsey">Daniel Neafsey</a>, associate professor of immunology and infectious diseases at Harvard Chan School and an associate member in Ó³»­´«Ã½'s Genomic Center for Infectious Diseases and <a href="/infectious-disease-microbiome">Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program</a>. "Additional research is required before any policy changes are implemented."</p> <p><em>Adapted from </em><a target="_blank" href="https://hsph.harvard.edu/news/malaria-transmitting-mosquitoes-in-south-america-evolving-to-evade-insecticides/"><em>a press release</em></a><em> issued by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.</em></p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--table-outro paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="field field--name-field-paragraph field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--table-outro-row paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-heading field--type-text field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Paper cited</p> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Tennessen JA, et al. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adw9761">Population genomics of <em>Anopheles darlingi</em>, the principal South American malaria vector mosquito.</a> <em>Science</em>. Online March 26, 2026. DOI: 10.1126/science.adw9761.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--table-outro-row paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-heading field--type-text field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Funding</p> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Support for this study was provided by the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Agence Nationale de la Recherche, and the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="content-section container"> <div class="content-section__main"> <div class="block-node-broad-tags block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storyfield-broad-tags"> <div class="block-node-broad-tags__row"> <div class="block-node-broad-tags__title">Tags:</div> <div class="field field--name-field-broad-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/broad-tags/infectious-disease-and-microbiome-0" hreflang="en">Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/broad-tags/infectious-disease" hreflang="en">Infectious Disease</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Tue, 29 Apr 2025 20:22:58 +0000 kzusi@broadinstitute.org 5558516 at /news/scientists-identify-unique-combination-bacterial-strains-could-treat-antibiotic-resistant-gut <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"><h1>Malaria-transmitting mosquitoes in South America are evolving to evade insecticides</h1> </span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"> <span>By Tom Ulrich</span> </span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2026-03-26T14:46:57-04:00" class="datetime">March 26, 2026</time> </span> <div class="hero-section container"> <div class="hero-section__row row"> <div class="hero-section__content hero-section__content_left col-6"> <div class="hero-section__breadcrumbs"> <div class="block block-system block-system-breadcrumb-block"> <nav class="breadcrumb" role="navigation" aria-labelledby="system-breadcrumb"> <h2 id="system-breadcrumb" class="visually-hidden">Breadcrumb</h2> <ol> <li> <a href="/">Home</a> </li> <li> <a href="/news">News</a> </li> </ol> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__title"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storytitle"> <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"><h1>Malaria-transmitting mosquitoes in South America are evolving to evade insecticides</h1> </span> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__description"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storybody"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Sequencing of complete genomes of <em>Anopheles darlingi</em> mosquitoes in the Americas finds resistance may make them harder to kill.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__author"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-extra-field-blocknodelong-storyextra-field-author-custom"> By Maya Brownstein, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__date"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storycreated"> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2026-03-26T14:46:57-04:00" title="Thursday, March 26, 2026 - 14:46" class="datetime">March 26, 2026</time> </span> </div> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__right col-6"> <div class="hero-section__image"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storyfield-image"> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-multiple-content-types-header"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <picture> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_desktop_xl/public/longstory/Anopheles%20darlingi%20%28credit%20Romuald%20Carinci%29_crop.png?h=ae0fde30&itok=Q75Jytx4 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1921px)" type="image/png" width="754" height="503"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_desktop_xl/public/longstory/Anopheles%20darlingi%20%28credit%20Romuald%20Carinci%29_crop.png?h=ae0fde30&itok=Q75Jytx4 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1601px) and (max-width: 1920px)" type="image/png" width="754" height="503"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_desktop/public/longstory/Anopheles%20darlingi%20%28credit%20Romuald%20Carinci%29_crop.png?h=ae0fde30&itok=hAVPkg08 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1340px) and (max-width: 1600px)" type="image/png" width="736" height="520"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_laptop/public/longstory/Anopheles%20darlingi%20%28credit%20Romuald%20Carinci%29_crop.png?h=ae0fde30&itok=K8EznJHt 1x" media="all and (min-width: 800px) and (max-width: 1339px)" type="image/png" width="641" height="451"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_tablet/public/longstory/Anopheles%20darlingi%20%28credit%20Romuald%20Carinci%29_crop.png?h=ae0fde30&itok=veCLtfAm 1x" media="all and (min-width: 540px) and (max-width: 799px)" type="image/png" width="706" height="417"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_phone/public/longstory/Anopheles%20darlingi%20%28credit%20Romuald%20Carinci%29_crop.png?h=ae0fde30&itok=SBneEaiA 1x" media="all and (max-width: 539px)" type="image/png" width="499" height="294"/> <img loading="eager" width="499" height="294" src="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_phone/public/longstory/Anopheles%20darlingi%20%28credit%20Romuald%20Carinci%29_crop.png?h=ae0fde30&itok=SBneEaiA" alt="Close-up of an Anopheles darlingi mosquito perched on human skin, its long legs and proboscis extended as it feeds; detailed body and wings visible against a soft green background." title="Close-up of an Anopheles darlingi mosquito perched on human skin, its long legs and proboscis extended as it feeds; detailed body and wings visible against a soft green background." typeof="foaf:Image" /> </picture> </div> <div class="media-caption"> <div class="media-caption__credit"> Credit: Romuald Carinci </div> <div class="media-caption__description"> <p>An <em>Anopheles darlingi</em> mosquito</p> </div> </div> </article> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="content-section container"> <div class="content-section__main"> <div class="block block-better-social-sharing-buttons block-social-sharing-buttons-block"> <div style="display: none"><link rel="preload" href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg" as="image" type="image/svg+xml" crossorigin="anonymous" /></div> <div class="social-sharing-buttons"> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=/taxonomy/term/698/feed&title=" target="_blank" title="Share to Facebook" aria-label="Share to Facebook" class="social-sharing-buttons-button share-facebook" rel="noopener"> <svg aria-hidden="true" width="32px" height="32px" style="border-radius:100%;"> <use href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg#facebook" /> </svg> </a> <a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=+/taxonomy/term/698/feed" target="_blank" title="Share to X" aria-label="Share to X" class="social-sharing-buttons-button share-x" rel="noopener"> <svg aria-hidden="true" width="32px" height="32px" style="border-radius:100%;"> <use href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg#x" /> </svg> </a> <a href="mailto:?subject=&body=/taxonomy/term/698/feed" title="Share to Email" aria-label="Share to Email" class="social-sharing-buttons-button share-email" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> <svg aria-hidden="true" width="32px" height="32px" style="border-radius:100%;"> <use href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg#email" /> </svg> </a> </div> </div> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storyfield-content-paragraphs"> <div class="field field--name-field-content-paragraphs field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--text-narrow paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><div class="clearfix" style="background-color:#f3f3f3;font-family:Open Sans;margin-bottom:2em;padding:2em;"> <h3>Highlights</h3> <ul> <li aria-level="1" data-list-item-id="e02d681cfd387590d90f5e03ede36d394"><em>Anopheles darlingi</em> mosquitoes — a major vector of malaria in South America — are evolving in response to insecticides, which may make them harder to kill and malaria more difficult to control on the continent and around the world. </li> <li aria-level="1" data-list-item-id="e7ca45070288c75bbd556fd466d25b57d">A new study is the first to sequence a large number (>1000) of complete genomes of <em>Anopheles</em> mosquitoes in the Americas, where malaria remains stubbornly persistent.</li> <li aria-level="1" data-list-item-id="e50c58551d1ab4a2024f6cfefa15b601f">The findings contribute to a knowledge base that could help improve methods for controlling malaria and provide a template for needed additional research on other <em>Anopheles</em> species in the Americas.</li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--text-narrow paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p><em>Anopheles darlingi</em> mosquitoes — a major vector of malaria in South America—are evolving in response to insecticides, which may make them harder to kill and malaria more difficult to control, according to a new study led by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the Ó³»­´«Ã½.</p> <p>Published in <a target="_blank" href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adw9761"><em>Science</em></a>, the study is the first to sequence a large number (>1,000) of complete <em>Anopheles</em> genomes from the Americas, where there are more than 600,000 cases of malaria annually, mostly in Brazil, Colombia, and Venezuela.</p> <p>"Malaria remains stubbornly persistent in South America, and there is a risk that dangerous drug-resistant strains of the malaria parasite could evolve in the Americas and then spread elsewhere," said corresponding author Jacob Tennessen, who is a research scientist at Harvard Chan School and an associated scientist at Ó³»­´«Ã½. "Our study plays a major role in revealing the evolutionary dynamics of a primary malaria vector, providing new insights into <em>Anopheles darlingi</em> biology that could help improve methods for blocking disease transmission."</p> <p>Prior studies of <em>A. darlingi</em> population genetics have used sets of genetic markers but not the whole genome. For this study, the researchers generated whole genome sequences for 1,094 adult female <em>A. darlingi</em> mosquitoes from 16 locations — including forests, wetlands, grasslands, farming and mining areas, and cities — across six South American countries: French Guiana, Brazil, Guyana, Peru, Venezuela, and Colombia.</p> <p>Importantly, the data revealed that this species is evolving to evade insecticides. "Insecticide resistance has only been sporadically documented in <em>Anopheles darlingi</em>, which have not been subject to intensive insecticide-heavy campaigns like those elsewhere in the world," Tennessen said. "We were not expecting to see resistance-related genes evolving as much as we did, and in so many different countries. Resistance may be driven by agricultural insecticides rather than those used for vector control specifically."</p> <p>The researchers also found extensive genetic divergence among <em>A. darlingi</em> mosquitoes across the continent — for example, between those in Guyana versus Venezuela — and observed that the species is well poised to adapt to changes in its environment.</p> <p>According to the researchers, the study is a milestone for vector biology in the Americas and provides a template for future studies of other <em>Anopheles</em> species in the region. While the study findings contribute to a knowledge base that can inform malaria control efforts, "this was basic research rather than an applied study," said senior author <a href="/bios/daniel-neafsey">Daniel Neafsey</a>, associate professor of immunology and infectious diseases at Harvard Chan School and an associate member in Ó³»­´«Ã½'s Genomic Center for Infectious Diseases and <a href="/infectious-disease-microbiome">Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program</a>. "Additional research is required before any policy changes are implemented."</p> <p><em>Adapted from </em><a target="_blank" href="https://hsph.harvard.edu/news/malaria-transmitting-mosquitoes-in-south-america-evolving-to-evade-insecticides/"><em>a press release</em></a><em> issued by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.</em></p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--table-outro paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="field field--name-field-paragraph field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--table-outro-row paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-heading field--type-text field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Paper cited</p> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Tennessen JA, et al. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adw9761">Population genomics of <em>Anopheles darlingi</em>, the principal South American malaria vector mosquito.</a> <em>Science</em>. Online March 26, 2026. DOI: 10.1126/science.adw9761.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--table-outro-row paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-heading field--type-text field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Funding</p> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Support for this study was provided by the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Agence Nationale de la Recherche, and the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="content-section container"> <div class="content-section__main"> <div class="block-node-broad-tags block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storyfield-broad-tags"> <div class="block-node-broad-tags__row"> <div class="block-node-broad-tags__title">Tags:</div> <div class="field field--name-field-broad-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/broad-tags/infectious-disease-and-microbiome-0" hreflang="en">Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/broad-tags/infectious-disease" hreflang="en">Infectious Disease</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Wed, 18 Sep 2024 14:51:33 +0000 adicorat 5557391 at /news/gut-microbiome-changes-fuel-increased-risk-type-2-diabetes <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"><h1>Malaria-transmitting mosquitoes in South America are evolving to evade insecticides</h1> </span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"> <span>By Tom Ulrich</span> </span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2026-03-26T14:46:57-04:00" class="datetime">March 26, 2026</time> </span> <div class="hero-section container"> <div class="hero-section__row row"> <div class="hero-section__content hero-section__content_left col-6"> <div class="hero-section__breadcrumbs"> <div class="block block-system block-system-breadcrumb-block"> <nav class="breadcrumb" role="navigation" aria-labelledby="system-breadcrumb"> <h2 id="system-breadcrumb" class="visually-hidden">Breadcrumb</h2> <ol> <li> <a href="/">Home</a> </li> <li> <a href="/news">News</a> </li> </ol> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__title"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storytitle"> <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"><h1>Malaria-transmitting mosquitoes in South America are evolving to evade insecticides</h1> </span> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__description"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storybody"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Sequencing of complete genomes of <em>Anopheles darlingi</em> mosquitoes in the Americas finds resistance may make them harder to kill.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__author"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-extra-field-blocknodelong-storyextra-field-author-custom"> By Maya Brownstein, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__date"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storycreated"> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2026-03-26T14:46:57-04:00" title="Thursday, March 26, 2026 - 14:46" class="datetime">March 26, 2026</time> </span> </div> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__right col-6"> <div class="hero-section__image"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storyfield-image"> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-multiple-content-types-header"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <picture> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_desktop_xl/public/longstory/Anopheles%20darlingi%20%28credit%20Romuald%20Carinci%29_crop.png?h=ae0fde30&itok=Q75Jytx4 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1921px)" type="image/png" width="754" height="503"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_desktop_xl/public/longstory/Anopheles%20darlingi%20%28credit%20Romuald%20Carinci%29_crop.png?h=ae0fde30&itok=Q75Jytx4 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1601px) and (max-width: 1920px)" type="image/png" width="754" height="503"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_desktop/public/longstory/Anopheles%20darlingi%20%28credit%20Romuald%20Carinci%29_crop.png?h=ae0fde30&itok=hAVPkg08 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1340px) and (max-width: 1600px)" type="image/png" width="736" height="520"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_laptop/public/longstory/Anopheles%20darlingi%20%28credit%20Romuald%20Carinci%29_crop.png?h=ae0fde30&itok=K8EznJHt 1x" media="all and (min-width: 800px) and (max-width: 1339px)" type="image/png" width="641" height="451"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_tablet/public/longstory/Anopheles%20darlingi%20%28credit%20Romuald%20Carinci%29_crop.png?h=ae0fde30&itok=veCLtfAm 1x" media="all and (min-width: 540px) and (max-width: 799px)" type="image/png" width="706" height="417"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_phone/public/longstory/Anopheles%20darlingi%20%28credit%20Romuald%20Carinci%29_crop.png?h=ae0fde30&itok=SBneEaiA 1x" media="all and (max-width: 539px)" type="image/png" width="499" height="294"/> <img loading="eager" width="499" height="294" src="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_phone/public/longstory/Anopheles%20darlingi%20%28credit%20Romuald%20Carinci%29_crop.png?h=ae0fde30&itok=SBneEaiA" alt="Close-up of an Anopheles darlingi mosquito perched on human skin, its long legs and proboscis extended as it feeds; detailed body and wings visible against a soft green background." title="Close-up of an Anopheles darlingi mosquito perched on human skin, its long legs and proboscis extended as it feeds; detailed body and wings visible against a soft green background." typeof="foaf:Image" /> </picture> </div> <div class="media-caption"> <div class="media-caption__credit"> Credit: Romuald Carinci </div> <div class="media-caption__description"> <p>An <em>Anopheles darlingi</em> mosquito</p> </div> </div> </article> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="content-section container"> <div class="content-section__main"> <div class="block block-better-social-sharing-buttons block-social-sharing-buttons-block"> <div style="display: none"><link rel="preload" href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg" as="image" type="image/svg+xml" crossorigin="anonymous" /></div> <div class="social-sharing-buttons"> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=/taxonomy/term/698/feed&title=" target="_blank" title="Share to Facebook" aria-label="Share to Facebook" class="social-sharing-buttons-button share-facebook" rel="noopener"> <svg aria-hidden="true" width="32px" height="32px" style="border-radius:100%;"> <use href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg#facebook" /> </svg> </a> <a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=+/taxonomy/term/698/feed" target="_blank" title="Share to X" aria-label="Share to X" class="social-sharing-buttons-button share-x" rel="noopener"> <svg aria-hidden="true" width="32px" height="32px" style="border-radius:100%;"> <use href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg#x" /> </svg> </a> <a href="mailto:?subject=&body=/taxonomy/term/698/feed" title="Share to Email" aria-label="Share to Email" class="social-sharing-buttons-button share-email" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> <svg aria-hidden="true" width="32px" height="32px" style="border-radius:100%;"> <use href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg#email" /> </svg> </a> </div> </div> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storyfield-content-paragraphs"> <div class="field field--name-field-content-paragraphs field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--text-narrow paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><div class="clearfix" style="background-color:#f3f3f3;font-family:Open Sans;margin-bottom:2em;padding:2em;"> <h3>Highlights</h3> <ul> <li aria-level="1" data-list-item-id="e02d681cfd387590d90f5e03ede36d394"><em>Anopheles darlingi</em> mosquitoes — a major vector of malaria in South America — are evolving in response to insecticides, which may make them harder to kill and malaria more difficult to control on the continent and around the world. </li> <li aria-level="1" data-list-item-id="e7ca45070288c75bbd556fd466d25b57d">A new study is the first to sequence a large number (>1000) of complete genomes of <em>Anopheles</em> mosquitoes in the Americas, where malaria remains stubbornly persistent.</li> <li aria-level="1" data-list-item-id="e50c58551d1ab4a2024f6cfefa15b601f">The findings contribute to a knowledge base that could help improve methods for controlling malaria and provide a template for needed additional research on other <em>Anopheles</em> species in the Americas.</li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--text-narrow paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p><em>Anopheles darlingi</em> mosquitoes — a major vector of malaria in South America—are evolving in response to insecticides, which may make them harder to kill and malaria more difficult to control, according to a new study led by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the Ó³»­´«Ã½.</p> <p>Published in <a target="_blank" href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adw9761"><em>Science</em></a>, the study is the first to sequence a large number (>1,000) of complete <em>Anopheles</em> genomes from the Americas, where there are more than 600,000 cases of malaria annually, mostly in Brazil, Colombia, and Venezuela.</p> <p>"Malaria remains stubbornly persistent in South America, and there is a risk that dangerous drug-resistant strains of the malaria parasite could evolve in the Americas and then spread elsewhere," said corresponding author Jacob Tennessen, who is a research scientist at Harvard Chan School and an associated scientist at Ó³»­´«Ã½. "Our study plays a major role in revealing the evolutionary dynamics of a primary malaria vector, providing new insights into <em>Anopheles darlingi</em> biology that could help improve methods for blocking disease transmission."</p> <p>Prior studies of <em>A. darlingi</em> population genetics have used sets of genetic markers but not the whole genome. For this study, the researchers generated whole genome sequences for 1,094 adult female <em>A. darlingi</em> mosquitoes from 16 locations — including forests, wetlands, grasslands, farming and mining areas, and cities — across six South American countries: French Guiana, Brazil, Guyana, Peru, Venezuela, and Colombia.</p> <p>Importantly, the data revealed that this species is evolving to evade insecticides. "Insecticide resistance has only been sporadically documented in <em>Anopheles darlingi</em>, which have not been subject to intensive insecticide-heavy campaigns like those elsewhere in the world," Tennessen said. "We were not expecting to see resistance-related genes evolving as much as we did, and in so many different countries. Resistance may be driven by agricultural insecticides rather than those used for vector control specifically."</p> <p>The researchers also found extensive genetic divergence among <em>A. darlingi</em> mosquitoes across the continent — for example, between those in Guyana versus Venezuela — and observed that the species is well poised to adapt to changes in its environment.</p> <p>According to the researchers, the study is a milestone for vector biology in the Americas and provides a template for future studies of other <em>Anopheles</em> species in the region. While the study findings contribute to a knowledge base that can inform malaria control efforts, "this was basic research rather than an applied study," said senior author <a href="/bios/daniel-neafsey">Daniel Neafsey</a>, associate professor of immunology and infectious diseases at Harvard Chan School and an associate member in Ó³»­´«Ã½'s Genomic Center for Infectious Diseases and <a href="/infectious-disease-microbiome">Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program</a>. "Additional research is required before any policy changes are implemented."</p> <p><em>Adapted from </em><a target="_blank" href="https://hsph.harvard.edu/news/malaria-transmitting-mosquitoes-in-south-america-evolving-to-evade-insecticides/"><em>a press release</em></a><em> issued by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.</em></p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--table-outro paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="field field--name-field-paragraph field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--table-outro-row paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-heading field--type-text field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Paper cited</p> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Tennessen JA, et al. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adw9761">Population genomics of <em>Anopheles darlingi</em>, the principal South American malaria vector mosquito.</a> <em>Science</em>. Online March 26, 2026. DOI: 10.1126/science.adw9761.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--table-outro-row paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-heading field--type-text field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Funding</p> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Support for this study was provided by the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Agence Nationale de la Recherche, and the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="content-section container"> <div class="content-section__main"> <div class="block-node-broad-tags block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storyfield-broad-tags"> <div class="block-node-broad-tags__row"> <div class="block-node-broad-tags__title">Tags:</div> <div class="field field--name-field-broad-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/broad-tags/infectious-disease-and-microbiome-0" hreflang="en">Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/broad-tags/infectious-disease" hreflang="en">Infectious Disease</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Tue, 25 Jun 2024 13:30:11 +0000 tulrich@broadinstitute.org 5557066 at /news/scientists-link-certain-gut-bacteria-lower-heart-disease-risk <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"><h1>Malaria-transmitting mosquitoes in South America are evolving to evade insecticides</h1> </span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"> <span>By Tom Ulrich</span> </span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2026-03-26T14:46:57-04:00" class="datetime">March 26, 2026</time> </span> <div class="hero-section container"> <div class="hero-section__row row"> <div class="hero-section__content hero-section__content_left col-6"> <div class="hero-section__breadcrumbs"> <div class="block block-system block-system-breadcrumb-block"> <nav class="breadcrumb" role="navigation" aria-labelledby="system-breadcrumb"> <h2 id="system-breadcrumb" class="visually-hidden">Breadcrumb</h2> <ol> <li> <a href="/">Home</a> </li> <li> <a href="/news">News</a> </li> </ol> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__title"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storytitle"> <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"><h1>Malaria-transmitting mosquitoes in South America are evolving to evade insecticides</h1> </span> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__description"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storybody"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Sequencing of complete genomes of <em>Anopheles darlingi</em> mosquitoes in the Americas finds resistance may make them harder to kill.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__author"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-extra-field-blocknodelong-storyextra-field-author-custom"> By Maya Brownstein, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__date"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storycreated"> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2026-03-26T14:46:57-04:00" title="Thursday, March 26, 2026 - 14:46" class="datetime">March 26, 2026</time> </span> </div> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__right col-6"> <div class="hero-section__image"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storyfield-image"> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-multiple-content-types-header"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <picture> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_desktop_xl/public/longstory/Anopheles%20darlingi%20%28credit%20Romuald%20Carinci%29_crop.png?h=ae0fde30&itok=Q75Jytx4 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1921px)" type="image/png" width="754" height="503"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_desktop_xl/public/longstory/Anopheles%20darlingi%20%28credit%20Romuald%20Carinci%29_crop.png?h=ae0fde30&itok=Q75Jytx4 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1601px) and (max-width: 1920px)" type="image/png" width="754" height="503"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_desktop/public/longstory/Anopheles%20darlingi%20%28credit%20Romuald%20Carinci%29_crop.png?h=ae0fde30&itok=hAVPkg08 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1340px) and (max-width: 1600px)" type="image/png" width="736" height="520"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_laptop/public/longstory/Anopheles%20darlingi%20%28credit%20Romuald%20Carinci%29_crop.png?h=ae0fde30&itok=K8EznJHt 1x" media="all and (min-width: 800px) and (max-width: 1339px)" type="image/png" width="641" height="451"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_tablet/public/longstory/Anopheles%20darlingi%20%28credit%20Romuald%20Carinci%29_crop.png?h=ae0fde30&itok=veCLtfAm 1x" media="all and (min-width: 540px) and (max-width: 799px)" type="image/png" width="706" height="417"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_phone/public/longstory/Anopheles%20darlingi%20%28credit%20Romuald%20Carinci%29_crop.png?h=ae0fde30&itok=SBneEaiA 1x" media="all and (max-width: 539px)" type="image/png" width="499" height="294"/> <img loading="eager" width="499" height="294" src="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_phone/public/longstory/Anopheles%20darlingi%20%28credit%20Romuald%20Carinci%29_crop.png?h=ae0fde30&itok=SBneEaiA" alt="Close-up of an Anopheles darlingi mosquito perched on human skin, its long legs and proboscis extended as it feeds; detailed body and wings visible against a soft green background." title="Close-up of an Anopheles darlingi mosquito perched on human skin, its long legs and proboscis extended as it feeds; detailed body and wings visible against a soft green background." typeof="foaf:Image" /> </picture> </div> <div class="media-caption"> <div class="media-caption__credit"> Credit: Romuald Carinci </div> <div class="media-caption__description"> <p>An <em>Anopheles darlingi</em> mosquito</p> </div> </div> </article> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="content-section container"> <div class="content-section__main"> <div class="block block-better-social-sharing-buttons block-social-sharing-buttons-block"> <div style="display: none"><link rel="preload" href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg" as="image" type="image/svg+xml" crossorigin="anonymous" /></div> <div class="social-sharing-buttons"> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=/taxonomy/term/698/feed&title=" target="_blank" title="Share to Facebook" aria-label="Share to Facebook" class="social-sharing-buttons-button share-facebook" rel="noopener"> <svg aria-hidden="true" width="32px" height="32px" style="border-radius:100%;"> <use href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg#facebook" /> </svg> </a> <a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=+/taxonomy/term/698/feed" target="_blank" title="Share to X" aria-label="Share to X" class="social-sharing-buttons-button share-x" rel="noopener"> <svg aria-hidden="true" width="32px" height="32px" style="border-radius:100%;"> <use href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg#x" /> </svg> </a> <a href="mailto:?subject=&body=/taxonomy/term/698/feed" title="Share to Email" aria-label="Share to Email" class="social-sharing-buttons-button share-email" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> <svg aria-hidden="true" width="32px" height="32px" style="border-radius:100%;"> <use href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg#email" /> </svg> </a> </div> </div> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storyfield-content-paragraphs"> <div class="field field--name-field-content-paragraphs field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--text-narrow paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><div class="clearfix" style="background-color:#f3f3f3;font-family:Open Sans;margin-bottom:2em;padding:2em;"> <h3>Highlights</h3> <ul> <li aria-level="1" data-list-item-id="e02d681cfd387590d90f5e03ede36d394"><em>Anopheles darlingi</em> mosquitoes — a major vector of malaria in South America — are evolving in response to insecticides, which may make them harder to kill and malaria more difficult to control on the continent and around the world. </li> <li aria-level="1" data-list-item-id="e7ca45070288c75bbd556fd466d25b57d">A new study is the first to sequence a large number (>1000) of complete genomes of <em>Anopheles</em> mosquitoes in the Americas, where malaria remains stubbornly persistent.</li> <li aria-level="1" data-list-item-id="e50c58551d1ab4a2024f6cfefa15b601f">The findings contribute to a knowledge base that could help improve methods for controlling malaria and provide a template for needed additional research on other <em>Anopheles</em> species in the Americas.</li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--text-narrow paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p><em>Anopheles darlingi</em> mosquitoes — a major vector of malaria in South America—are evolving in response to insecticides, which may make them harder to kill and malaria more difficult to control, according to a new study led by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the Ó³»­´«Ã½.</p> <p>Published in <a target="_blank" href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adw9761"><em>Science</em></a>, the study is the first to sequence a large number (>1,000) of complete <em>Anopheles</em> genomes from the Americas, where there are more than 600,000 cases of malaria annually, mostly in Brazil, Colombia, and Venezuela.</p> <p>"Malaria remains stubbornly persistent in South America, and there is a risk that dangerous drug-resistant strains of the malaria parasite could evolve in the Americas and then spread elsewhere," said corresponding author Jacob Tennessen, who is a research scientist at Harvard Chan School and an associated scientist at Ó³»­´«Ã½. "Our study plays a major role in revealing the evolutionary dynamics of a primary malaria vector, providing new insights into <em>Anopheles darlingi</em> biology that could help improve methods for blocking disease transmission."</p> <p>Prior studies of <em>A. darlingi</em> population genetics have used sets of genetic markers but not the whole genome. For this study, the researchers generated whole genome sequences for 1,094 adult female <em>A. darlingi</em> mosquitoes from 16 locations — including forests, wetlands, grasslands, farming and mining areas, and cities — across six South American countries: French Guiana, Brazil, Guyana, Peru, Venezuela, and Colombia.</p> <p>Importantly, the data revealed that this species is evolving to evade insecticides. "Insecticide resistance has only been sporadically documented in <em>Anopheles darlingi</em>, which have not been subject to intensive insecticide-heavy campaigns like those elsewhere in the world," Tennessen said. "We were not expecting to see resistance-related genes evolving as much as we did, and in so many different countries. Resistance may be driven by agricultural insecticides rather than those used for vector control specifically."</p> <p>The researchers also found extensive genetic divergence among <em>A. darlingi</em> mosquitoes across the continent — for example, between those in Guyana versus Venezuela — and observed that the species is well poised to adapt to changes in its environment.</p> <p>According to the researchers, the study is a milestone for vector biology in the Americas and provides a template for future studies of other <em>Anopheles</em> species in the region. While the study findings contribute to a knowledge base that can inform malaria control efforts, "this was basic research rather than an applied study," said senior author <a href="/bios/daniel-neafsey">Daniel Neafsey</a>, associate professor of immunology and infectious diseases at Harvard Chan School and an associate member in Ó³»­´«Ã½'s Genomic Center for Infectious Diseases and <a href="/infectious-disease-microbiome">Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program</a>. "Additional research is required before any policy changes are implemented."</p> <p><em>Adapted from </em><a target="_blank" href="https://hsph.harvard.edu/news/malaria-transmitting-mosquitoes-in-south-america-evolving-to-evade-insecticides/"><em>a press release</em></a><em> issued by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.</em></p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--table-outro paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="field field--name-field-paragraph field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--table-outro-row paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-heading field--type-text field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Paper cited</p> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Tennessen JA, et al. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adw9761">Population genomics of <em>Anopheles darlingi</em>, the principal South American malaria vector mosquito.</a> <em>Science</em>. Online March 26, 2026. DOI: 10.1126/science.adw9761.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--table-outro-row paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-heading field--type-text field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Funding</p> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Support for this study was provided by the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Agence Nationale de la Recherche, and the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="content-section container"> <div class="content-section__main"> <div class="block-node-broad-tags block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storyfield-broad-tags"> <div class="block-node-broad-tags__row"> <div class="block-node-broad-tags__title">Tags:</div> <div class="field field--name-field-broad-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/broad-tags/infectious-disease-and-microbiome-0" hreflang="en">Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/broad-tags/infectious-disease" hreflang="en">Infectious Disease</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Tue, 02 Apr 2024 15:00:00 +0000 adicorat 5556761 at /news/researchers-uncover-genetic-factors-severe-lassa-fever <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"><h1>Malaria-transmitting mosquitoes in South America are evolving to evade insecticides</h1> </span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"> <span>By Tom Ulrich</span> </span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2026-03-26T14:46:57-04:00" class="datetime">March 26, 2026</time> </span> <div class="hero-section container"> <div class="hero-section__row row"> <div class="hero-section__content hero-section__content_left col-6"> <div class="hero-section__breadcrumbs"> <div class="block block-system block-system-breadcrumb-block"> <nav class="breadcrumb" role="navigation" aria-labelledby="system-breadcrumb"> <h2 id="system-breadcrumb" class="visually-hidden">Breadcrumb</h2> <ol> <li> <a href="/">Home</a> </li> <li> <a href="/news">News</a> </li> </ol> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__title"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storytitle"> <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"><h1>Malaria-transmitting mosquitoes in South America are evolving to evade insecticides</h1> </span> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__description"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storybody"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Sequencing of complete genomes of <em>Anopheles darlingi</em> mosquitoes in the Americas finds resistance may make them harder to kill.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__author"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-extra-field-blocknodelong-storyextra-field-author-custom"> By Maya Brownstein, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__date"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storycreated"> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2026-03-26T14:46:57-04:00" title="Thursday, March 26, 2026 - 14:46" class="datetime">March 26, 2026</time> </span> </div> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__right col-6"> <div class="hero-section__image"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storyfield-image"> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-multiple-content-types-header"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <picture> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_desktop_xl/public/longstory/Anopheles%20darlingi%20%28credit%20Romuald%20Carinci%29_crop.png?h=ae0fde30&itok=Q75Jytx4 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1921px)" type="image/png" width="754" height="503"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_desktop_xl/public/longstory/Anopheles%20darlingi%20%28credit%20Romuald%20Carinci%29_crop.png?h=ae0fde30&itok=Q75Jytx4 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1601px) and (max-width: 1920px)" type="image/png" width="754" height="503"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_desktop/public/longstory/Anopheles%20darlingi%20%28credit%20Romuald%20Carinci%29_crop.png?h=ae0fde30&itok=hAVPkg08 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1340px) and (max-width: 1600px)" type="image/png" width="736" height="520"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_laptop/public/longstory/Anopheles%20darlingi%20%28credit%20Romuald%20Carinci%29_crop.png?h=ae0fde30&itok=K8EznJHt 1x" media="all and (min-width: 800px) and (max-width: 1339px)" type="image/png" width="641" height="451"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_tablet/public/longstory/Anopheles%20darlingi%20%28credit%20Romuald%20Carinci%29_crop.png?h=ae0fde30&itok=veCLtfAm 1x" media="all and (min-width: 540px) and (max-width: 799px)" type="image/png" width="706" height="417"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_phone/public/longstory/Anopheles%20darlingi%20%28credit%20Romuald%20Carinci%29_crop.png?h=ae0fde30&itok=SBneEaiA 1x" media="all and (max-width: 539px)" type="image/png" width="499" height="294"/> <img loading="eager" width="499" height="294" src="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_phone/public/longstory/Anopheles%20darlingi%20%28credit%20Romuald%20Carinci%29_crop.png?h=ae0fde30&itok=SBneEaiA" alt="Close-up of an Anopheles darlingi mosquito perched on human skin, its long legs and proboscis extended as it feeds; detailed body and wings visible against a soft green background." title="Close-up of an Anopheles darlingi mosquito perched on human skin, its long legs and proboscis extended as it feeds; detailed body and wings visible against a soft green background." typeof="foaf:Image" /> </picture> </div> <div class="media-caption"> <div class="media-caption__credit"> Credit: Romuald Carinci </div> <div class="media-caption__description"> <p>An <em>Anopheles darlingi</em> mosquito</p> </div> </div> </article> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="content-section container"> <div class="content-section__main"> <div class="block block-better-social-sharing-buttons block-social-sharing-buttons-block"> <div style="display: none"><link rel="preload" href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg" as="image" type="image/svg+xml" crossorigin="anonymous" /></div> <div class="social-sharing-buttons"> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=/taxonomy/term/698/feed&title=" target="_blank" title="Share to Facebook" aria-label="Share to Facebook" class="social-sharing-buttons-button share-facebook" rel="noopener"> <svg aria-hidden="true" width="32px" height="32px" style="border-radius:100%;"> <use href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg#facebook" /> </svg> </a> <a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=+/taxonomy/term/698/feed" target="_blank" title="Share to X" aria-label="Share to X" class="social-sharing-buttons-button share-x" rel="noopener"> <svg aria-hidden="true" width="32px" height="32px" style="border-radius:100%;"> <use href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg#x" /> </svg> </a> <a href="mailto:?subject=&body=/taxonomy/term/698/feed" title="Share to Email" aria-label="Share to Email" class="social-sharing-buttons-button share-email" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> <svg aria-hidden="true" width="32px" height="32px" style="border-radius:100%;"> <use href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg#email" /> </svg> </a> </div> </div> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storyfield-content-paragraphs"> <div class="field field--name-field-content-paragraphs field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--text-narrow paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><div class="clearfix" style="background-color:#f3f3f3;font-family:Open Sans;margin-bottom:2em;padding:2em;"> <h3>Highlights</h3> <ul> <li aria-level="1" data-list-item-id="e02d681cfd387590d90f5e03ede36d394"><em>Anopheles darlingi</em> mosquitoes — a major vector of malaria in South America — are evolving in response to insecticides, which may make them harder to kill and malaria more difficult to control on the continent and around the world. </li> <li aria-level="1" data-list-item-id="e7ca45070288c75bbd556fd466d25b57d">A new study is the first to sequence a large number (>1000) of complete genomes of <em>Anopheles</em> mosquitoes in the Americas, where malaria remains stubbornly persistent.</li> <li aria-level="1" data-list-item-id="e50c58551d1ab4a2024f6cfefa15b601f">The findings contribute to a knowledge base that could help improve methods for controlling malaria and provide a template for needed additional research on other <em>Anopheles</em> species in the Americas.</li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--text-narrow paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p><em>Anopheles darlingi</em> mosquitoes — a major vector of malaria in South America—are evolving in response to insecticides, which may make them harder to kill and malaria more difficult to control, according to a new study led by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the Ó³»­´«Ã½.</p> <p>Published in <a target="_blank" href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adw9761"><em>Science</em></a>, the study is the first to sequence a large number (>1,000) of complete <em>Anopheles</em> genomes from the Americas, where there are more than 600,000 cases of malaria annually, mostly in Brazil, Colombia, and Venezuela.</p> <p>"Malaria remains stubbornly persistent in South America, and there is a risk that dangerous drug-resistant strains of the malaria parasite could evolve in the Americas and then spread elsewhere," said corresponding author Jacob Tennessen, who is a research scientist at Harvard Chan School and an associated scientist at Ó³»­´«Ã½. "Our study plays a major role in revealing the evolutionary dynamics of a primary malaria vector, providing new insights into <em>Anopheles darlingi</em> biology that could help improve methods for blocking disease transmission."</p> <p>Prior studies of <em>A. darlingi</em> population genetics have used sets of genetic markers but not the whole genome. For this study, the researchers generated whole genome sequences for 1,094 adult female <em>A. darlingi</em> mosquitoes from 16 locations — including forests, wetlands, grasslands, farming and mining areas, and cities — across six South American countries: French Guiana, Brazil, Guyana, Peru, Venezuela, and Colombia.</p> <p>Importantly, the data revealed that this species is evolving to evade insecticides. "Insecticide resistance has only been sporadically documented in <em>Anopheles darlingi</em>, which have not been subject to intensive insecticide-heavy campaigns like those elsewhere in the world," Tennessen said. "We were not expecting to see resistance-related genes evolving as much as we did, and in so many different countries. Resistance may be driven by agricultural insecticides rather than those used for vector control specifically."</p> <p>The researchers also found extensive genetic divergence among <em>A. darlingi</em> mosquitoes across the continent — for example, between those in Guyana versus Venezuela — and observed that the species is well poised to adapt to changes in its environment.</p> <p>According to the researchers, the study is a milestone for vector biology in the Americas and provides a template for future studies of other <em>Anopheles</em> species in the region. While the study findings contribute to a knowledge base that can inform malaria control efforts, "this was basic research rather than an applied study," said senior author <a href="/bios/daniel-neafsey">Daniel Neafsey</a>, associate professor of immunology and infectious diseases at Harvard Chan School and an associate member in Ó³»­´«Ã½'s Genomic Center for Infectious Diseases and <a href="/infectious-disease-microbiome">Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program</a>. "Additional research is required before any policy changes are implemented."</p> <p><em>Adapted from </em><a target="_blank" href="https://hsph.harvard.edu/news/malaria-transmitting-mosquitoes-in-south-america-evolving-to-evade-insecticides/"><em>a press release</em></a><em> issued by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.</em></p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--table-outro paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="field field--name-field-paragraph field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--table-outro-row paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-heading field--type-text field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Paper cited</p> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Tennessen JA, et al. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adw9761">Population genomics of <em>Anopheles darlingi</em>, the principal South American malaria vector mosquito.</a> <em>Science</em>. Online March 26, 2026. DOI: 10.1126/science.adw9761.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--table-outro-row paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-heading field--type-text field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Funding</p> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Support for this study was provided by the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Agence Nationale de la Recherche, and the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="content-section container"> <div class="content-section__main"> <div class="block-node-broad-tags block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storyfield-broad-tags"> <div class="block-node-broad-tags__row"> <div class="block-node-broad-tags__title">Tags:</div> <div class="field field--name-field-broad-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/broad-tags/infectious-disease-and-microbiome-0" hreflang="en">Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/broad-tags/infectious-disease" hreflang="en">Infectious Disease</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Thu, 08 Feb 2024 14:00:00 +0000 adicorat 5556161 at /news/researchers-use-ai-identify-new-class-antibiotic-candidates <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"><h1>Malaria-transmitting mosquitoes in South America are evolving to evade insecticides</h1> </span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"> <span>By Tom Ulrich</span> </span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2026-03-26T14:46:57-04:00" class="datetime">March 26, 2026</time> </span> <div class="hero-section container"> <div class="hero-section__row row"> <div class="hero-section__content hero-section__content_left col-6"> <div class="hero-section__breadcrumbs"> <div class="block block-system block-system-breadcrumb-block"> <nav class="breadcrumb" role="navigation" aria-labelledby="system-breadcrumb"> <h2 id="system-breadcrumb" class="visually-hidden">Breadcrumb</h2> <ol> <li> <a href="/">Home</a> </li> <li> <a href="/news">News</a> </li> </ol> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__title"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storytitle"> <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"><h1>Malaria-transmitting mosquitoes in South America are evolving to evade insecticides</h1> </span> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__description"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storybody"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Sequencing of complete genomes of <em>Anopheles darlingi</em> mosquitoes in the Americas finds resistance may make them harder to kill.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__author"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-extra-field-blocknodelong-storyextra-field-author-custom"> By Maya Brownstein, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__date"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storycreated"> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2026-03-26T14:46:57-04:00" title="Thursday, March 26, 2026 - 14:46" class="datetime">March 26, 2026</time> </span> </div> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__right col-6"> <div class="hero-section__image"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storyfield-image"> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-multiple-content-types-header"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <picture> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_desktop_xl/public/longstory/Anopheles%20darlingi%20%28credit%20Romuald%20Carinci%29_crop.png?h=ae0fde30&itok=Q75Jytx4 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1921px)" type="image/png" width="754" height="503"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_desktop_xl/public/longstory/Anopheles%20darlingi%20%28credit%20Romuald%20Carinci%29_crop.png?h=ae0fde30&itok=Q75Jytx4 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1601px) and (max-width: 1920px)" type="image/png" width="754" height="503"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_desktop/public/longstory/Anopheles%20darlingi%20%28credit%20Romuald%20Carinci%29_crop.png?h=ae0fde30&itok=hAVPkg08 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1340px) and (max-width: 1600px)" type="image/png" width="736" height="520"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_laptop/public/longstory/Anopheles%20darlingi%20%28credit%20Romuald%20Carinci%29_crop.png?h=ae0fde30&itok=K8EznJHt 1x" media="all and (min-width: 800px) and (max-width: 1339px)" type="image/png" width="641" height="451"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_tablet/public/longstory/Anopheles%20darlingi%20%28credit%20Romuald%20Carinci%29_crop.png?h=ae0fde30&itok=veCLtfAm 1x" media="all and (min-width: 540px) and (max-width: 799px)" type="image/png" width="706" height="417"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_phone/public/longstory/Anopheles%20darlingi%20%28credit%20Romuald%20Carinci%29_crop.png?h=ae0fde30&itok=SBneEaiA 1x" media="all and (max-width: 539px)" type="image/png" width="499" height="294"/> <img loading="eager" width="499" height="294" src="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_phone/public/longstory/Anopheles%20darlingi%20%28credit%20Romuald%20Carinci%29_crop.png?h=ae0fde30&itok=SBneEaiA" alt="Close-up of an Anopheles darlingi mosquito perched on human skin, its long legs and proboscis extended as it feeds; detailed body and wings visible against a soft green background." title="Close-up of an Anopheles darlingi mosquito perched on human skin, its long legs and proboscis extended as it feeds; detailed body and wings visible against a soft green background." typeof="foaf:Image" /> </picture> </div> <div class="media-caption"> <div class="media-caption__credit"> Credit: Romuald Carinci </div> <div class="media-caption__description"> <p>An <em>Anopheles darlingi</em> mosquito</p> </div> </div> </article> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="content-section container"> <div class="content-section__main"> <div class="block block-better-social-sharing-buttons block-social-sharing-buttons-block"> <div style="display: none"><link rel="preload" href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg" as="image" type="image/svg+xml" crossorigin="anonymous" /></div> <div class="social-sharing-buttons"> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=/taxonomy/term/698/feed&title=" target="_blank" title="Share to Facebook" aria-label="Share to Facebook" class="social-sharing-buttons-button share-facebook" rel="noopener"> <svg aria-hidden="true" width="32px" height="32px" style="border-radius:100%;"> <use href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg#facebook" /> </svg> </a> <a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=+/taxonomy/term/698/feed" target="_blank" title="Share to X" aria-label="Share to X" class="social-sharing-buttons-button share-x" rel="noopener"> <svg aria-hidden="true" width="32px" height="32px" style="border-radius:100%;"> <use href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg#x" /> </svg> </a> <a href="mailto:?subject=&body=/taxonomy/term/698/feed" title="Share to Email" aria-label="Share to Email" class="social-sharing-buttons-button share-email" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> <svg aria-hidden="true" width="32px" height="32px" style="border-radius:100%;"> <use href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg#email" /> </svg> </a> </div> </div> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storyfield-content-paragraphs"> <div class="field field--name-field-content-paragraphs field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--text-narrow paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><div class="clearfix" style="background-color:#f3f3f3;font-family:Open Sans;margin-bottom:2em;padding:2em;"> <h3>Highlights</h3> <ul> <li aria-level="1" data-list-item-id="e02d681cfd387590d90f5e03ede36d394"><em>Anopheles darlingi</em> mosquitoes — a major vector of malaria in South America — are evolving in response to insecticides, which may make them harder to kill and malaria more difficult to control on the continent and around the world. </li> <li aria-level="1" data-list-item-id="e7ca45070288c75bbd556fd466d25b57d">A new study is the first to sequence a large number (>1000) of complete genomes of <em>Anopheles</em> mosquitoes in the Americas, where malaria remains stubbornly persistent.</li> <li aria-level="1" data-list-item-id="e50c58551d1ab4a2024f6cfefa15b601f">The findings contribute to a knowledge base that could help improve methods for controlling malaria and provide a template for needed additional research on other <em>Anopheles</em> species in the Americas.</li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--text-narrow paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p><em>Anopheles darlingi</em> mosquitoes — a major vector of malaria in South America—are evolving in response to insecticides, which may make them harder to kill and malaria more difficult to control, according to a new study led by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the Ó³»­´«Ã½.</p> <p>Published in <a target="_blank" href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adw9761"><em>Science</em></a>, the study is the first to sequence a large number (>1,000) of complete <em>Anopheles</em> genomes from the Americas, where there are more than 600,000 cases of malaria annually, mostly in Brazil, Colombia, and Venezuela.</p> <p>"Malaria remains stubbornly persistent in South America, and there is a risk that dangerous drug-resistant strains of the malaria parasite could evolve in the Americas and then spread elsewhere," said corresponding author Jacob Tennessen, who is a research scientist at Harvard Chan School and an associated scientist at Ó³»­´«Ã½. "Our study plays a major role in revealing the evolutionary dynamics of a primary malaria vector, providing new insights into <em>Anopheles darlingi</em> biology that could help improve methods for blocking disease transmission."</p> <p>Prior studies of <em>A. darlingi</em> population genetics have used sets of genetic markers but not the whole genome. For this study, the researchers generated whole genome sequences for 1,094 adult female <em>A. darlingi</em> mosquitoes from 16 locations — including forests, wetlands, grasslands, farming and mining areas, and cities — across six South American countries: French Guiana, Brazil, Guyana, Peru, Venezuela, and Colombia.</p> <p>Importantly, the data revealed that this species is evolving to evade insecticides. "Insecticide resistance has only been sporadically documented in <em>Anopheles darlingi</em>, which have not been subject to intensive insecticide-heavy campaigns like those elsewhere in the world," Tennessen said. "We were not expecting to see resistance-related genes evolving as much as we did, and in so many different countries. Resistance may be driven by agricultural insecticides rather than those used for vector control specifically."</p> <p>The researchers also found extensive genetic divergence among <em>A. darlingi</em> mosquitoes across the continent — for example, between those in Guyana versus Venezuela — and observed that the species is well poised to adapt to changes in its environment.</p> <p>According to the researchers, the study is a milestone for vector biology in the Americas and provides a template for future studies of other <em>Anopheles</em> species in the region. While the study findings contribute to a knowledge base that can inform malaria control efforts, "this was basic research rather than an applied study," said senior author <a href="/bios/daniel-neafsey">Daniel Neafsey</a>, associate professor of immunology and infectious diseases at Harvard Chan School and an associate member in Ó³»­´«Ã½'s Genomic Center for Infectious Diseases and <a href="/infectious-disease-microbiome">Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program</a>. "Additional research is required before any policy changes are implemented."</p> <p><em>Adapted from </em><a target="_blank" href="https://hsph.harvard.edu/news/malaria-transmitting-mosquitoes-in-south-america-evolving-to-evade-insecticides/"><em>a press release</em></a><em> issued by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.</em></p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--table-outro paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="field field--name-field-paragraph field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--table-outro-row paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-heading field--type-text field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Paper cited</p> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Tennessen JA, et al. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adw9761">Population genomics of <em>Anopheles darlingi</em>, the principal South American malaria vector mosquito.</a> <em>Science</em>. Online March 26, 2026. DOI: 10.1126/science.adw9761.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--table-outro-row paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-heading field--type-text field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Funding</p> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Support for this study was provided by the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Agence Nationale de la Recherche, and the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="content-section container"> <div class="content-section__main"> <div class="block-node-broad-tags block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storyfield-broad-tags"> <div class="block-node-broad-tags__row"> <div class="block-node-broad-tags__title">Tags:</div> <div class="field field--name-field-broad-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/broad-tags/infectious-disease-and-microbiome-0" hreflang="en">Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/broad-tags/infectious-disease" hreflang="en">Infectious Disease</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Wed, 20 Dec 2023 16:30:46 +0000 tulrich@broadinstitute.org 5556221 at /news/researchers-identify-gut-microbiome-signatures-linked-precancerous-colon-polyps <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"><h1>Malaria-transmitting mosquitoes in South America are evolving to evade insecticides</h1> </span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"> <span>By Tom Ulrich</span> </span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2026-03-26T14:46:57-04:00" class="datetime">March 26, 2026</time> </span> <div class="hero-section container"> <div class="hero-section__row row"> <div class="hero-section__content hero-section__content_left col-6"> <div class="hero-section__breadcrumbs"> <div class="block block-system block-system-breadcrumb-block"> <nav class="breadcrumb" role="navigation" aria-labelledby="system-breadcrumb"> <h2 id="system-breadcrumb" class="visually-hidden">Breadcrumb</h2> <ol> <li> <a href="/">Home</a> </li> <li> <a href="/news">News</a> </li> </ol> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__title"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storytitle"> <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"><h1>Malaria-transmitting mosquitoes in South America are evolving to evade insecticides</h1> </span> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__description"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storybody"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Sequencing of complete genomes of <em>Anopheles darlingi</em> mosquitoes in the Americas finds resistance may make them harder to kill.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__author"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-extra-field-blocknodelong-storyextra-field-author-custom"> By Maya Brownstein, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__date"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storycreated"> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2026-03-26T14:46:57-04:00" title="Thursday, March 26, 2026 - 14:46" class="datetime">March 26, 2026</time> </span> </div> </div> </div> <div class="hero-section__right col-6"> <div class="hero-section__image"> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storyfield-image"> <div class="field field--name-field-image field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> <article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-multiple-content-types-header"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <picture> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_desktop_xl/public/longstory/Anopheles%20darlingi%20%28credit%20Romuald%20Carinci%29_crop.png?h=ae0fde30&itok=Q75Jytx4 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1921px)" type="image/png" width="754" height="503"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_desktop_xl/public/longstory/Anopheles%20darlingi%20%28credit%20Romuald%20Carinci%29_crop.png?h=ae0fde30&itok=Q75Jytx4 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1601px) and (max-width: 1920px)" type="image/png" width="754" height="503"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_desktop/public/longstory/Anopheles%20darlingi%20%28credit%20Romuald%20Carinci%29_crop.png?h=ae0fde30&itok=hAVPkg08 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1340px) and (max-width: 1600px)" type="image/png" width="736" height="520"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_laptop/public/longstory/Anopheles%20darlingi%20%28credit%20Romuald%20Carinci%29_crop.png?h=ae0fde30&itok=K8EznJHt 1x" media="all and (min-width: 800px) and (max-width: 1339px)" type="image/png" width="641" height="451"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_tablet/public/longstory/Anopheles%20darlingi%20%28credit%20Romuald%20Carinci%29_crop.png?h=ae0fde30&itok=veCLtfAm 1x" media="all and (min-width: 540px) and (max-width: 799px)" type="image/png" width="706" height="417"/> <source srcset="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_phone/public/longstory/Anopheles%20darlingi%20%28credit%20Romuald%20Carinci%29_crop.png?h=ae0fde30&itok=SBneEaiA 1x" media="all and (max-width: 539px)" type="image/png" width="499" height="294"/> <img loading="eager" width="499" height="294" src="/files/styles/multiple_ct_header_phone/public/longstory/Anopheles%20darlingi%20%28credit%20Romuald%20Carinci%29_crop.png?h=ae0fde30&itok=SBneEaiA" alt="Close-up of an Anopheles darlingi mosquito perched on human skin, its long legs and proboscis extended as it feeds; detailed body and wings visible against a soft green background." title="Close-up of an Anopheles darlingi mosquito perched on human skin, its long legs and proboscis extended as it feeds; detailed body and wings visible against a soft green background." typeof="foaf:Image" /> </picture> </div> <div class="media-caption"> <div class="media-caption__credit"> Credit: Romuald Carinci </div> <div class="media-caption__description"> <p>An <em>Anopheles darlingi</em> mosquito</p> </div> </div> </article> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="content-section container"> <div class="content-section__main"> <div class="block block-better-social-sharing-buttons block-social-sharing-buttons-block"> <div style="display: none"><link rel="preload" href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg" as="image" type="image/svg+xml" crossorigin="anonymous" /></div> <div class="social-sharing-buttons"> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=/taxonomy/term/698/feed&title=" target="_blank" title="Share to Facebook" aria-label="Share to Facebook" class="social-sharing-buttons-button share-facebook" rel="noopener"> <svg aria-hidden="true" width="32px" height="32px" style="border-radius:100%;"> <use href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg#facebook" /> </svg> </a> <a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=+/taxonomy/term/698/feed" target="_blank" title="Share to X" aria-label="Share to X" class="social-sharing-buttons-button share-x" rel="noopener"> <svg aria-hidden="true" width="32px" height="32px" style="border-radius:100%;"> <use href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg#x" /> </svg> </a> <a href="mailto:?subject=&body=/taxonomy/term/698/feed" title="Share to Email" aria-label="Share to Email" class="social-sharing-buttons-button share-email" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> <svg aria-hidden="true" width="32px" height="32px" style="border-radius:100%;"> <use href="/modules/contrib/better_social_sharing_buttons/assets/dist/sprites/social-icons--no-color.svg#email" /> </svg> </a> </div> </div> <div class="block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storyfield-content-paragraphs"> <div class="field field--name-field-content-paragraphs field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--text-narrow paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><div class="clearfix" style="background-color:#f3f3f3;font-family:Open Sans;margin-bottom:2em;padding:2em;"> <h3>Highlights</h3> <ul> <li aria-level="1" data-list-item-id="e02d681cfd387590d90f5e03ede36d394"><em>Anopheles darlingi</em> mosquitoes — a major vector of malaria in South America — are evolving in response to insecticides, which may make them harder to kill and malaria more difficult to control on the continent and around the world. </li> <li aria-level="1" data-list-item-id="e7ca45070288c75bbd556fd466d25b57d">A new study is the first to sequence a large number (>1000) of complete genomes of <em>Anopheles</em> mosquitoes in the Americas, where malaria remains stubbornly persistent.</li> <li aria-level="1" data-list-item-id="e50c58551d1ab4a2024f6cfefa15b601f">The findings contribute to a knowledge base that could help improve methods for controlling malaria and provide a template for needed additional research on other <em>Anopheles</em> species in the Americas.</li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--text-narrow paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p><em>Anopheles darlingi</em> mosquitoes — a major vector of malaria in South America—are evolving in response to insecticides, which may make them harder to kill and malaria more difficult to control, according to a new study led by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the Ó³»­´«Ã½.</p> <p>Published in <a target="_blank" href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adw9761"><em>Science</em></a>, the study is the first to sequence a large number (>1,000) of complete <em>Anopheles</em> genomes from the Americas, where there are more than 600,000 cases of malaria annually, mostly in Brazil, Colombia, and Venezuela.</p> <p>"Malaria remains stubbornly persistent in South America, and there is a risk that dangerous drug-resistant strains of the malaria parasite could evolve in the Americas and then spread elsewhere," said corresponding author Jacob Tennessen, who is a research scientist at Harvard Chan School and an associated scientist at Ó³»­´«Ã½. "Our study plays a major role in revealing the evolutionary dynamics of a primary malaria vector, providing new insights into <em>Anopheles darlingi</em> biology that could help improve methods for blocking disease transmission."</p> <p>Prior studies of <em>A. darlingi</em> population genetics have used sets of genetic markers but not the whole genome. For this study, the researchers generated whole genome sequences for 1,094 adult female <em>A. darlingi</em> mosquitoes from 16 locations — including forests, wetlands, grasslands, farming and mining areas, and cities — across six South American countries: French Guiana, Brazil, Guyana, Peru, Venezuela, and Colombia.</p> <p>Importantly, the data revealed that this species is evolving to evade insecticides. "Insecticide resistance has only been sporadically documented in <em>Anopheles darlingi</em>, which have not been subject to intensive insecticide-heavy campaigns like those elsewhere in the world," Tennessen said. "We were not expecting to see resistance-related genes evolving as much as we did, and in so many different countries. Resistance may be driven by agricultural insecticides rather than those used for vector control specifically."</p> <p>The researchers also found extensive genetic divergence among <em>A. darlingi</em> mosquitoes across the continent — for example, between those in Guyana versus Venezuela — and observed that the species is well poised to adapt to changes in its environment.</p> <p>According to the researchers, the study is a milestone for vector biology in the Americas and provides a template for future studies of other <em>Anopheles</em> species in the region. While the study findings contribute to a knowledge base that can inform malaria control efforts, "this was basic research rather than an applied study," said senior author <a href="/bios/daniel-neafsey">Daniel Neafsey</a>, associate professor of immunology and infectious diseases at Harvard Chan School and an associate member in Ó³»­´«Ã½'s Genomic Center for Infectious Diseases and <a href="/infectious-disease-microbiome">Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program</a>. "Additional research is required before any policy changes are implemented."</p> <p><em>Adapted from </em><a target="_blank" href="https://hsph.harvard.edu/news/malaria-transmitting-mosquitoes-in-south-america-evolving-to-evade-insecticides/"><em>a press release</em></a><em> issued by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.</em></p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--table-outro paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="field field--name-field-paragraph field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--table-outro-row paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-heading field--type-text field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Paper cited</p> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Tennessen JA, et al. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adw9761">Population genomics of <em>Anopheles darlingi</em>, the principal South American malaria vector mosquito.</a> <em>Science</em>. Online March 26, 2026. DOI: 10.1126/science.adw9761.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--table-outro-row paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-heading field--type-text field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Funding</p> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Support for this study was provided by the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Agence Nationale de la Recherche, and the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="content-section container"> <div class="content-section__main"> <div class="block-node-broad-tags block block-layout-builder block-field-blocknodelong-storyfield-broad-tags"> <div class="block-node-broad-tags__row"> <div class="block-node-broad-tags__title">Tags:</div> <div class="field field--name-field-broad-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/broad-tags/infectious-disease-and-microbiome-0" hreflang="en">Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/broad-tags/infectious-disease" hreflang="en">Infectious Disease</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Wed, 14 Jun 2023 12:59:00 +0000 tulrich@broadinstitute.org 1282366 at