Automated bioacoustics: Researchers are listening in on insects to better gauge environmental health
Recent research led by the University of Massachusetts Amherst evaluates how well machine learning can identify different insect species by their sound, from malaria-carrying mosquitoes and grain-hungry weevils to crop-pollinating bees and sap-suckin.....»»
Innovative chemical strategy targets mosquito larvae gut to combat spread of deadly diseases
Mosquito-borne illnesses remain a formidable challenge threatening millions of people each year with diseases such as malaria, dengue, zika and chikungunya......»»
New study finds the malaria parasite generates genetic diversity using an evolutionary "copy-paste" tactic
By dissecting the genetic diversity of the most deadly human malaria parasite—Plasmodium falciparum—researchers at EMBL's European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI) have identified a mechanism of 'copy-paste' genetics that increases the genetic.....»»
New study: Deforestation exacerbates risk of malaria for most vulnerable children
Malaria kills more than 600,000 people each year worldwide, and two-thirds are children under age five in sub-Saharan Africa. Scientists have found a treatment that could prevent thousands of these deaths: trees......»»
Blocking fertilization of parasite-causing malaria opens new doors in eradication efforts
More than 400 people develop malaria every minute, and it can be fatal if not diagnosed and treated at the first sign of symptoms. Eliminating the disease will require interventions that stop the transmission of the parasite from mosquitoes to humans.....»»
Toxoplasmosis: Researchers identify protein that evolved alongside infection machinery
Toxoplasmosis is an infectious disease found worldwide, caused by the single-celled parasite Toxoplasma gondii. In humans, infection poses a particular risk to pregnant women, as it can lead to birth defects. Like the closely related malaria pathogen.....»»
RNA-dependent protein research advances the fight against malaria
New work by a team led by scientists at the University of California, Riverside, has taken research one step closer to designing new therapies to fight and eradicate malaria thanks to a lab technique called R-DeeP......»»
Researchers discover that blocking an essential nutrient inhibits malaria parasite growth
Living organisms often create what is needed for life from scratch. For humans, this process means the creation of most essential compounds needed to survive. But not every living thing has this capability, such as the parasite that causes malaria, w.....»»
The World"s First Malaria Vaccine Program for Children Starts Now
On Monday, Cameroon became the first nation to establish routine childhood malaria immunizations. The race is on to give protection to as many people as possible......»»
Scientists find malaria parasite takes its time within mosquito host to reap an evolutionary advantage
The malaria parasite is a master of adaptation. To complete its life cycle, the parasite must be transmitted from a mosquito to a human and then back to a mosquito again. Over millions of years of evolution, it has adapted perfectly to these two host.....»»
Pocket-sized DNA sequencers track malaria drug resistance in Ghana in near real-time
Scientists have developed a technique to rapidly and reliably detect genetic changes in malaria parasites in Ghana, using just a gaming laptop and portable MinION sequencer from Oxford Nanopore......»»
In the fight against malaria-carrying mosquitoes, just add soap
Could the solution to the decades-long battle against malaria be as simple as soap? In a new study published in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, scientists at The University of Texas at El Paso have made a compelling case for it......»»
Maryland’s first local malaria case in 40 years initially duped doctors
The misdiagnosis is a global problem that could worsen as malaria territory expands. Enlarge / Under a magnification of 1,125x, this photomicrograph of a blood specimen revealed the presence of intraerythrocytic Plasmodium falcip.....»»
New Malaria Vaccines Offer a Real Shot at Fighting the Disease
A malaria vaccine that could protect millions of children against the parasite-borne disease is expected to roll out early next year. It follows another formula that has already had moderate success......»»
Katalin Karikó’s Nobel Prize Marks the Beginning of an mRNA Vaccine Revolution
Nobel Prize winners Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman pioneered the technology that produced a Covid-19 vaccine in record time. Next, mRNA could tackle flu, malaria, and HIV......»»
Katalin Karikó’s Nobel Prize Marks the Beginning of a Vaccine Revolution
Nobel Prize winners Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman pioneered the technology that produced a Covid-19 vaccine in record time. Next, mRNA could tackle flu, malaria, and HIV......»»
Discovery in mosquitoes could lead to new strategy against dengue fever and other mosquito-borne vectors
Researchers from the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health have made an important finding about Aedes aegypti mosquitoes—one that could one day lead to better methods for reducing the mosqui.....»»
For a new approach to fighting malaria, study focuses on special RNA molecules in human malaria parasite
The mosquito-borne infectious disease malaria resulted in about 241 million clinical episodes and 627,000 deaths in 2020. In young children and pregnant women living in areas where the disease is endemic, a major cause of death is Plasmodium falcipar.....»»
New malaria vaccine works well in infants, offers adults layered protection
New vaccine targets a distinct stage in the malarial parasite's life cycle. Enlarge (credit: himarkley) Even after 140 years of its discovery, malaria remains one of the deadliest infections humans have ever encountered......»»
Scientists find "concerning" flaw in malaria diagnostics
Current methods can vastly overestimate the rates that malaria parasites are multiplying in an infected person's blood, which has important implications for determining how harmful they could be to a host, according to a new report......»»