Insect Core Facility

This facility is dedicated to the production of mosquitoes for research purposes. The two major species reared are Anopheles gambiae and Anopheles stephensi. Aedes and Culex mosquitoes are also kept. Other mosquito species may be reared on demand.

The Insect Core is housed in the School of Public Health building and occupies 3,000 square feet. It consists of seven environmentally controlled walk-in incubators, ten reach-in incubators and seven laboratory work areas. One section of the Insect Core is a designated high-security area for handling arthropods infected with human malaria parasites and other pathogens.

Research  programs supported by the Insectary Core range from studies to understand the basic biology and physiology of arthropods, to assessment of the interactions of pathogens with their arthropod vectors, and to the creation of transgenic mosquitoes. The projects are led by Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute (JHMRI) faculty members working on malaria, West Nile virus and Lime disease.

Current programs include but are not limited to:

• Production and assessment of genetically modified mosquitoes. 

• Evaluation of transmission-blocking vaccine targets. 

• Analysis of mosquito immune responses to parasite infection.

• Production of sporozoites from infected mosquitoes to define immune responses against the pre-erythorocytic
  stages of malaria parasites in the mouse model. 

• Production of sporozoites from infected mosquitoes to investigate in vitro interactions between the parasites and host liver, focusing on molecular aspects of their development and nutritional needs.

• Investigation of the genetic constitution of mosquito field populations and their competence to transmit malaria. 

CONTACT

Facility Director: Dr. Marcelo Jacobs-Lorena mlorena@jhsph.edu

Facility Manager: Christopher Kizito               ckizito@jhsph.edu

LINKS

Full Insectary Link is currently under construction.