Effects of Saline-Induced Stress on Transgenerational Epigenetic Inheritance within Mosquito Species, Culex molestus
Presentation Type
Poster
Faculty Advisor
Matthew Aardema
Access Type
Event
Start Date
26-4-2023 12:30 PM
End Date
26-4-2023 1:30 PM
Description
Mosquitos are one of the most abundant arthropod vectors of many diseases responsible for human mortality and morbidity, such as West Nile Virus, Zika Virus, and Dengue, across the globe. Thus, an understanding of how human activities, such as increased road salt applications, as well as global climate change, with respect to increases in brackish water bodies, can affect the survival and emergence of such disease vectors is critical in helping come up with solutions to reduce their population size. The goal of the project is to understand the transgenerational epigenetic inheritance within the mosquito species, Culex molestus by determining whether exposure to elevated salt concentrations in the parental generation will induce greater salt resistance in the offspring. This is important in helping to determine the effects of problems such as increased application of road salts and global climate change on the ability for mosquito populations to adapt. Such adaptations could potentially have negative effects on human health. The project will incorporate two different assays: a survival assay and developmental assay. Mosquito larvae populations will be exposed to 0.12 M NaCl solution, then reared to adulthood. These mosquitos will then be paired, and the resulting offspring assayed to test variation in salt tolerance, compared to a control line.
Effects of Saline-Induced Stress on Transgenerational Epigenetic Inheritance within Mosquito Species, Culex molestus
Mosquitos are one of the most abundant arthropod vectors of many diseases responsible for human mortality and morbidity, such as West Nile Virus, Zika Virus, and Dengue, across the globe. Thus, an understanding of how human activities, such as increased road salt applications, as well as global climate change, with respect to increases in brackish water bodies, can affect the survival and emergence of such disease vectors is critical in helping come up with solutions to reduce their population size. The goal of the project is to understand the transgenerational epigenetic inheritance within the mosquito species, Culex molestus by determining whether exposure to elevated salt concentrations in the parental generation will induce greater salt resistance in the offspring. This is important in helping to determine the effects of problems such as increased application of road salts and global climate change on the ability for mosquito populations to adapt. Such adaptations could potentially have negative effects on human health. The project will incorporate two different assays: a survival assay and developmental assay. Mosquito larvae populations will be exposed to 0.12 M NaCl solution, then reared to adulthood. These mosquitos will then be paired, and the resulting offspring assayed to test variation in salt tolerance, compared to a control line.