Genetic Control of Malaria and Dengue focuses on the knowledge, technology, regulation and ethics of using genetically modified mosquitoes to interrupt the transmission of important vector-borne diseases including Malaria. It contains coverage of the current state of knowledge of vector-borne diseases and how they are currently controlled; vaccine, drug and insecticide development; various strategies for altering the genome of mosquitoes in beneficial ways; and the regulatory, ethical and social environment concerning these strategies. For more than five decades, the prospect of using genetically-modified mosquitoes to control vector-borne disease transmission has been a purely hypothetical scenario. We simply did not have the technology or basic knowledge to be able to do it. With the explosion of field trials and potential interventions in development, Genetic Control of Malaria and Dengue provides a comprehensive overview of research in genetics, microbiology, virology, and ecology involved in the development and implementation of genetic modification programs for virus and disease control. This book is meant to provide a practical guide to researchers, regulators and the general public about how this technology actually works, how it can be improved, and what is still unknown. - Includes coverage of vectorial capacity, critical to understanding vector-borne disease transmission - Provides a summary of the concepts of both population suppression and population replacement - Contains pivotal coverage of ethical and ecological ramifications of genetics-based control strategies

Wolbachia are Gram-negative bacteria that form intracellular inherited infections in many invertebrates. They are extremely common, with 20-75% of all insects being infected. Transmitted to humans through mosquitoes and black flies, the majority of the disease-causing nematodes are hosts to the Wolbachia bacteria. Featuring the findings of internationally recognized experts in infectious disease research and insect biology, thie publication highlights their perpectives of Wolbachia's genome, evolution, symbiosis, biology, pathogenicity as well as its potential as a drug taraget.

The ways in which bacteria can manipulate reproduction of their invertebrate hosts for their own benefit is attracting increasing attention among scientists. It has been discovered that certain bacteria can determine the likelihood of their fruit fly hosts finding a partner to mate with, andthat bacteria infecting woodlice can even cause changes in woodlice offspring. Written by leading experts, this is a timely and readable exploration of a new, exciting, and rapidly expanding area of science.

This book provides insight into the biology of Wolbachia with a particular focus on methodology. Chapters guide readers through reproductive phenotypes caused by Wolbachia, survival and replication of Wolbachia in insect cell lines, artificial introduction of Wolbachia into novel hosts, and analysis of Wolbachia gene functions. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and key tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls.

The associations between insects and microorganisms, while pervasive and of paramount ecological importance, have been relatively poorly understood. The third book in this set, Insect Symbiosis, Volume 3, complements the previous volumes in exploring this somewhat uncharted territory. Like its predecessors, Volume 3 illustrates how symbiosis resear

This contributed volume contains 25 chapters from leading international scientists working on dengue and Zika viruses, who came together in Praia do Tofo in Mozambique to discuss the latest developments in the fields of epidemiology, pathogenesis, structural virology, immunology, antiviral drug discovery and development, vaccine efficacy, and mosquito control programs. The meeting venue offered an opportunity to discuss current research on these flaviviruses in an idyllic setting, and also to develop first-hand appreciation of the issues in infectious diseases facing developing countries and of the research gaps in Africa. For readers, who should include basic and clinical researchers in the field and public health professionals, the chapters are organized to provide a comprehensive overview of the various topics in current dengue and Zika virus research. A unique feature of the proceedings of this meeting is the inclusion of the discussions that took place following presentations. These have been transcribed and appended to the end of the relevant chapters, and they form the “salt in the soup” of this book.

In the English edition of his landmark book Endosymbiosis of Animals with Plant Microorganisms (1965), Professor Paul Buchner, probably the most prominent founder of systematic symbiosis research, wrote:I too soon fell victim to the spell of this subject, and from 1911 on devoted myself to it. Almost half a century later, a growing number of ent

Insect-transmitted rickettsiales diseases are significant sources of morbidity and mortality all over the world. Their incidence has been increasing in recent years in large part due to climate change and the movement of animals carrying the insect vectors. Currently there are no effective vaccines against diseases caused by members of the order Rickettsiales. Rickettsiales diseases are often misdiagnosed; this book is intended to serve as a tool for their understanding and diagnosis. Rickettsiales covers the seven main genera: Anaplasma, Ehrlichia, Midichloria, Neorickettsia, Orientia, Rickettsia and Wolbachia. Discussion of each genus includes immunology and molecular biology of host-pathogen interactions, epidemiology and diagnosis, and vaccination strategies and therapies.

This book brings together most of the information available concerning two species that diverged 2-3 million years ago. The objective was to try to understand why two sibling species so similar in several characteristics can be so different in others. To this end, it was crucial to confront all data from their ecology and biogeography with their behavior and DNA polymorphism. Drosophila melanogaster and Drosophila simulans are among the two sibling species for which a large set of data is available. In this book, ecologists, physiologists, geneticists, behaviorists share their data on the two sibling species, and several scenarios of evolution are put forward to explain their similarities and divergences. This is the first collection of essays of its kind. It is not the final point of the analyses of these two species since several areas remain obscure. However, the recent publication of the complete genome of D. melanogaster opens new fields for research. This will probably help us explain why D. melanogaster and D. simulans are sibling species but false friends.